The Battle of Hampton Roads: An Illustration Done by the Authors of This Website
USS Monitor Sinks
The Battle of Hampton Roads was one of the most important battles in naval history. It was the first battle the world had ever seen between two ironclads. It was also the beginning of the turn of the war, and one of the key reasons that the Union won in the Civil War. The new technology allowed the Union to maintain control over waterways and rivers in the South.
Battle of Hampton Roads
https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/battle-of-hampton-roads
The Union had one major advantage over the Confederacy which was their ability to make many more ironclads than the Confederacy as a result of their larger manufacturing base The Battle of Hamptons Roads involved two vessels, the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia, a ship which was created from the hull of the USS Merrimack. These were two extremely different ships because the CSS Virginia was focused on armor and firepower while the USS Monitor was focused on versatility and maneuverability.
The battle took place on March 9, 1862. It ended in a draw, with neither ship being able to sink that other. However, the battle that took place the previous day between the CSS Virginia and various wooden Union vessels did prove that ironclads had potential and were better than wooden ships. Both of the ships were later destroyed, but not before the two ships had a rematch, in which the Union emerged victorious after the Virginia was scuttled.
