U.S.S.+Monitor

=U.S.S. Monitor=

an HMS American Cultures collaborative production
The U.S.S. Monitor was the first ironclad warship for the United States Navy during the Civil War. This ship is most famously known for its involvement in the Battle of Hampton Roads in 1862. Built and designed by John Ericsson for the U.S Navy, it faced off against the confederate warship, the CSS Virginia. The clash was a draw between the ships, but the Monitor prohibited Virginia from further destroying more Union ships and taking over Hampton Roads. Furthermore,this battle between two ironclad warships was the first of its kind and revolutionized naval warfare, from wooden ships to the more modern iron ships. Soon after the battle, in December of 1862, the Monitor sunk in a storm off the coast of Cape Hatteras. Currently, after its discovery in 1974, the ship is a marine sanctuary with a museum to comemorate it.

Bibliography: "USS Monitor." __Wikipedia.__20May 2009<[]>. " History of USS Monitor." __USS Monitor Center.__24 May 2009<[]>. "USS Monitor."24 May 2009[].