King of the seas
From the many inventions that emerged from the American Civil War, the Ironclad, designed by Captain John Ericsson and Robert L. Stevens, has impacted the world by advancing naval warfare technology. It gave America more influence in Europe and put America ahead of Europe in naval matters. The impact and influence changed naval warfares forever by forcing wooden ships to become obsolete. The Ironclad was among the first technological and modern tools of war. Its impact on technology in navies can still be seen today in the designs and the construction of naval ships.(Mac Bride,1) It has impacted technology in the way ships are built. Because of the ironclads the ships that are used in wars today are much safer. They are stronger and easier to maneuver. The first ironclad to ironclad battle between the Merrimac and the Monitor was long and drawn out. Although neither one emerged victorious, the world began to see what a major improvement in warfare these ironclads were. A reporter from the Norfolk Day wrote: "This work will create a revolution in naval warfare.
" (Phinney,3) Truly the use of iron to clad ships and the battle between the Merrimac and the Monitor is the most decisive factor to date to serve as a point of revolutionary change for modern navies. Two days after the first battle of ironclads, England declared the use of the wooden ship obsolete. The ironclads caused a long range of reaction in navies and gave America a push for the influence they wanted in Europe. Such ships at this time would traverse our entire navy and if to cope with other navies on the open seas we must have no more wooden ships built because our inequality will build up our vulnerability. (Mac Bride,43) In the past people have often thought of naval ships as only tools of war. machinations of chance often served only to heighten drama, to punctuate the inescapability of an event that would not be denied it's place in time. (Mahan,7) This successful and terrible work caused a revolution in naval warfare, henceforth iron would be King of the Seas! . (Love,29) The invention of the ironclad has helped to push America higher on the ladder to becoming a major world power and to be included in major decisions of the world. Ironclads were also formidable adjuncts to fortifications on land for coast and harbor defense. It made America become feared and respected by large European nations and all the major nations looked at this invention with pure respect and awe. The building of the ironclad broke a five hundred year tradition in warship construction, wooden ships were no longer built for Naval warfare. Europe began to recognize America as a nation that should be taken seriously and would probably be better to have as a friend rather than a foe! It has been said that without this invention, America would still be behind in world status, because major nations would not respect us. Wooden ships had long been the traditional war machine of western culture, and the invention of the ironclad single handedly #changed the tradition.
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