New Ironsides appeared near the beginning of the long shift from sail-powered fleets to steam battleships and the later dreadnought world. The unsettled period is dated broadly from 1861-62 to 1905: sail was receding, but the mature steam battleship had yet to emerge. Turrets, iron and then steel construction, more reliable engines, heavier guns, and new armour types developed together. The label "monitor" could cover designs that had already moved away from the exact form of USS Monitor. New Ironsides captures a naval technology race still searching for workable combinations of propulsion, protection, and firepower. Steam battleships filled the gap between Warrior-type ironclads and the later mature battleship.
Notable Point · 6:22-8:02
A ship from the unsettled ironclad transition
New Ironsides dates from decades when steam power, guns, armour, and hull materials were still being combined into a workable new warship.