John V. Quarstein & Robert Bailey

IN PERSON AND LIVESTREAMED

Presenters: John V. Quarstein, director emeritus of the USS Monitor Center,
with guest speaker Robert Bailey

About the presentation:
The March 9, 1862 Battle of Hampton Roads fought by the ironclads USS Monitor and CSS Virginia changed the future of naval warfare. The Union commissioned the next generation of monitors, 10 new Passaic-class ironclads. California had sided with the Union and petitioned Washington, D.C., for a modern naval ship to protect San Francisco’s harbor. Gold and silver continued to flow en route to the East Coast to fund the war effort. Thus, an innovative plan was hatched to construct USS Camanche.

Civil engineer Robert Bailey will share the incredible story of this monitor, built in New Jersey, disassembled, and shipped in pieces to the West Coast via the clipper ship Aquila. But not all went as planned! Find out from Bailey: Is it possible to sink a ship before it’s launched?

Civil War Lecture
USS Camanche: The West Coast’s Only Ironclad
Friday, May 20, 2022 • 12 p.m. (ET)

Advance registration is required whether attending the lecture in person or online.