John Ericsson's Inventions During The Civil War

During the Civil War, there were a lot of important and significant battles fought and there were also many inventions made. One battle during the Civil War fits both categories. This battle is the Battle of the Merrimac vs. the Monitor, also known as the Battle of Hampton Roads. Both of these ships had very different and complex backgrounds and very different inventors. These ships may not have been as useful and helpful during the Civil War itself, but they had a major impact in the future. They marked the beginning of a naval warfare era. The history of these ship’s inventors, the ships themselves, the battle of Hampton Roads, and the impact and significance of these ships are all an important part of history today.

The Monitor’s Inventor
John Ericsson was born in Sweden, and was an engineer. When he was a child he helped his father design canals. As a teenager he joined the Swedish battle and because of his engineering skills, he advanced to the position of lieutenant. He later left the war and traveled to England in 1826. While there he continued designing and engineering things and earning the respect of those around him. When he left England, he found himself in New York, where he worked with Captain Robert Stockton and constructed the USS Princeton. Things did not turn

These ships were made to be cannon and bulletproof. For five hours both ships circled each other and fired at each other, but since both ships were made to be cannon and bulletproof, neither side got anywhere with this battle. The cannons and bullets just averted off of the ships. The battle, still to this day, is considered inconclusive. This was the first battle to take place with ironclad ships. Winston Churchill said,” The combat of the Merrimac and the Monitor made the greatest change in the sea-fighting since cannon fire by gunpowder had been mounted on ships about four hundred years