Ironclads were a big step up from wooden boats previously used in warfare. This new and innovative design was developed in order to withstand opposing battleship's heavy fire on their vessel. In class, we discussed the numbers of factories, workers, and people on each side (South and North) of the war. Since the Confederates were deeply outnumbered, they needed a way to use the number of people they had wisely. They did this by adapting to the design of using heavy armor on their ships. The Confederates spent $2 million on purchasing ironclads from overseas and materials to convert wooden ships into ironclads. Ironclads were war boats that were covered in protective iron. This allowed the boat to withstand attacks and prove to be very effective in the field (water) The first ironclad ship used in battle was called the CSS Manassas. It acted as a god on the sea and destroyed Union wooden ships.
The British were the source of ironclads for the Confederates. This break of trust angered Lincoln and caused him to say, "If you help the Confederates, we will go to war." The British start sending the ships to the French who then send them to the Confederates. This did not deceive Lincoln and he gave the British a final warning. After this, they didn't want too engage in war so they listened.
These ships made the Union ships look weak and it sparked them to start creating their own. In addition to ironclads, iron rams were added to wooden ships to poke holes in wooden ships and do some damage to other ironclads. Since cannons on wooden ships weren't sophisticated enough, they were marked as pretty much useless when used against ironclads.
In class, we discussed the great advantage the North had over the South - more factories, money people, and workers - and this leads the North to catch up to the South's innovation. Using the many factories, the North started producing their own ironclads.
All in all, the introduction of ironclads into the civil war led to increased defense in water warfare, increased efficiency in blockades, and sparked other innovative technology.
Very insightful post on the new naval technology. I like how you connected information in class with your own research, specifically about the CSS Manassas. Also the Merrimac and Monitor were famous ironclad warships used in the war. Do you think these ironclad warships played a significant role in furthering technology?
ReplyDeleteFor more information on ironclad warships:http://www.americancivilwarstory.com/ironclad-warship.html
I enjoyed your post on the innovation in naval technology during the Civil War and how the Civil War induced such technological innovation. Your reference to the Union's greater logistics (factories, workers, people, etc.) helped connect back to how even though the South worked so hard on the ironclads, the North was able to outmaneuver and outproduce them, effectively shutting them down. I was wondering how the outcome might have been different had the British supplied the Confederates with the ironclads they desperately needed. Would that have saved the South? Or just prolonged the inevitable?
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