John Ericsson Memorial in Washington DC

Ericsson's chief fame is for his design of the USS Monitor, an armored ship that was designed in direct response to the confederate craft the CSS Virginia (formerly the USA ship USS Merrimac), which had nearly single-handedly defeated the Union navy blockade of Hampton Roads, Virginia. Left unchecked, the potential for the CSS Virginia (and other Confederate craft built like her) to annihilate the Union Navy entirely. John Ericsson's design work was a principal force in the ability of the Union to overcome the Southern Confederacy.

25 Photos of Memorial Bridge