Development
In response to news about construction of Virginia, Gideon Welles decided the Union would need an ironclad. Welles proposed to Congress a board of experts on ironclad ships. He was granted the authority to create this board a month later.
The Ironclad Board was composed of three senior naval officers: Commodore Hiram Paulding, Commodore Joseph Smith, and Commander Charles Davis. Welles put advertisements in Northern newspapers asking people to submit their designs for ironclads. The board initially chose two designs from the 17 submitted. These ships were the USS Galena and the USS New Ironsides.
Cornelius Bushnell, the designer of Galena, went to New York City to have his design reviewed by Ericsson. Ericsson, after assuring Bushnell Galena would be stable, revealed the plans and a cardboard model of one of his own designs, the future Monitor. Bushnell immediately knew Ericsson's ship was far superior to his own and pressed the reluctant Ericsson to submit the design to the Ironclad Board. Bushnell eventually obtained permission to take Ericsson's model to Washington. Directly after his meeting with Ericsson, Bushnell showed the design to Welles, who arranged a meeting for Bushnell with the Ironclad Board.
Read more about this topic: USS Monitor
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