Wreckage of U.S.S. Monitor and its History

During the Civil War, naval warfare became a prominent form of strategy for the Union and the Confederacy. Over time, technological advances in maritime industries caused the invention of ironclads. Ironclads were ships that were sided in iron over a wooden hull to make them stronger and more susceptible to gunfire. The first ironclad built for the United States Navy was the U.S.S. Monitor.

The location on the map depicts the home office of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary in Newport News, Virginia. Here is where people can come and learn about the U.S.S. Monitor and its impact. The wreckage of the U.S.S Monitor is located off the coast of North Carolina and is the site of the sanctuary.

First Union Ironclad

The U.S.S. Monitor was built by John Ericsson at Continental Ironworks in Greenpoint, New York (1). Union cabinet members including President Lincoln urged the U.S. Navy to create an ironclad to rival the Confederacy’s new ironclad, the C.S.S Virginia. A naval board was created and the idea for the Monitor was reluctantly accepted (2). The U.S.S. Monitor would have a rotating gun turret with low draft, have a sleek profile, and be an “impregnable battery” which convinced the naval board to create it. Ericsson’s design for a Union ironclad revolutionized the way ships were built for battle. The rotating gun turret made it easier for ships and crewmembers to shoot in smaller rivers and shallow water like Hampton Roads (2). In 1861, the ironclad was being built and on January 30^th, 1862, the U.S.S. Monitor was launched (1).

The Battle of Hampton Roads

The Battle of Hampton Roads was one of the most significant battles fought during the Civil War. It was a duel between the two new ironclads, the U.S.S. Monitor and the C.S.S. Virginia. This battle was one of the first to be between two ironclad warships of the war. The Virginia was stationed in Hampton Roads to intercept Union naval operations while the Monitor was launched to counterattack the Virginia after it launched an attack on Union ships (3). On March 9^th, 1862, the two ironclads went up against one another in a close battle that lasted for many hours. The Virginia shifted its focus from other Union ships to the Monitor resulting in close-range fire and an occasional ram into each other (3). The Monitor was smaller than the Virginia making it easier to maneuver and avoid heavy gunfire from the Virginia. Also, its revolving guns made it possible to not only fight in Hampton Roads but fight the Virginia with full force (4). After a few hours of heavy gunfire from both ironclads, the C.S.S. Virginia and the U.S.S. Monitor disengage and retreat resulting in a draw (4). Once the Monitor retired, the Virginia believed that they had won the battle and retired to Norfolk. Later, the Monitor came back to reengage and saw that the Virginia left, also assuming victory (1). While it was a draw, the Monitor fought valiantly against the Virginia ensuing the use of warships for future battles and wars.

Where Is It Now?

The U.S.S. Monitor did not sink in battle but off the coast of NC near Cape Hatteras in a storm. It sunk on December 31^st, 1862 (1). The U.S.S. Monitor was traveling further South to engage Confederate warships but ended up in a violent storm (1). The U.S.S. Monitor is now on the bottom of the ocean at 75 degrees longitude and 35 degrees latitude. The storm not only drowned the ship, but 16 out of the 62 crew members died in the storm. Fortunately, there were 46 survivors of the wreck (1). 

In 1973, a team of scientists from Duke University located an unknown shipwreck off the coast of North Carolina. In 1974, the wreck was deemed to be the remains of the U.S.S. Monitor. Unsure of how to preserve the wreck, government officials protected the ironclad through the National Marine Sanctuary Act of 1972. The wreckage of the U.S.S. Monitor then became the first marine sanctuary under the NMSA (1). Today, the ship has been excavated for artifacts from the Civil War and preserved by the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. Now, anyone can travel to Newport News, Virginia and go to the Mariners' Museum and Park to discover facts and see galleries dedicated to the U.S.S. Monitor (5).

1. USS Monitor, Monitor National Maritime Sanctuary. Accessed November 29th, 2021. https://monitor.noaa.gov/shipwrecks/uss_monitor.html.

2. USS Monitor: A Cheesebox on a Raft, American Battlefield Trust. Accessed November 29th, 2021. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/uss-monitor-cheesebox-raft.

3. Clash of the Ironclads, American Battlefield Trust. Accessed November 29th, 2021. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/clash-ironclads.

4.Hampton Roads, American Battlefield Trust. Accessed November 29th, 2021. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/hampton-roads.

5.Visitor Center and Partner Exhibits, Accessed November 29th 2021. https://monitor.noaa.gov/visit/visitor-centers.html.