What was the Battle of Hampton Roads?
Q: What was the Battle of Hampton Roads?
A: The Battle of Hampton Roads was a naval battle of the American Civil War fought on March 8 and 9, 1862 near Hampton Roads, Virginia.
Q: What made this battle important?
A: This battle was important because it was the first combat between ironclad warships.
Q: What did the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia try to do during the battle?
A: The Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia tried to break the Union navy blockade of Hampton Roads which prevented all commerce with Norfolk and Richmond, Virginia.
Q: When did the Union ironclad USS Monitor arrive at the scene?
A: The Union ironclad USS Monitor arrived on March 8 and fought against the CSS Virginia.
Q: How long did this battle last?
A: This battle lasted for several hours but neither ship could defeat each other so both ships left thinking they had won.
Q: How did this battle affect warship building in future years?
A: After this battle, people stopped building wooden ships and started building iron warships instead as they were much stronger than wooden ships.
Q: What happened to both ships after their fight at Hampton Roads? A: Both ships were lost soon after their fight; The CSS Virginia was destroyed by its crew when Norfolk fell in May 1862 and The USS Monitor sunk in a storm near Cape Hatteras on December 31, 1862.
