The Civil War witnessed an overnight change to naval tactics, with both the Union and Confederacy scrambling to construct ironclads to improve their chances of success. 

Learn how one curator learned the benefits and drawbacks of using AI to answer historical questions and explore art.

After the Battle of Hampton Roads, USS Monitor —“little ship that saved the nation” — seemed perfect. But this illusion was shattered after the James River Flotilla's defeat at Drewry's Bluff. Lt. William Jeffers wrote a detailed report lodging his complaints about the vessel, from intolerable ventilation to questionable design choices, leading to a harsh rebuke from inventor John Ericsson.