Ironclads

This passage discusses types of boats during the Civil War called "Ironclads.'

Lexile Level: 730L

Categories: History Science & Technology

During the Civil War, a large battle between two ships occurred in March, 1862. These ships were called Ironclads because metal was put around the outside of the ship. This made the boat very strong. These were some of the first boats ever to be made out of metal. Most other boats at that time were made out of wood. These Ironclads were called the Merrimack and the Monitor. The Merrimack was with the Confederacy, and the Monitor was with the Union. These boats fought each other for four hours in the waters off the Virginia coast. This was the first battle between ironclad boats, and it ended in a tie.