John Ericsson’s design for the Monitor was only a skeleton when he was awarded the contract to have it built. In a race to match the feared Merrimack, Ericsson had to quickly construct a working, combat-ready iron ship that would receive its first test in combat. If the ship proved a failure, Ericsson would be forced by the US government to pay back every penny invested in the experimental ship — which most people expected to sink like a rock. This episode details the incredible process of constructing this technological marvel. Chris Calton recounts the controversial history of the Civil War. This is the 41st episode in the third season of Historical Controversies. You may support this podcast financially at Mises.org/SupportHC. Historical Controversies is available online at: https://Mises.org/HCPod RSS: https://mises.org/itunes/622 iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/historical-controversies/id1304510096?mt=2 Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/m/I3vmki7pz7jxond4x7qx5dfjv7y?t=Historical_Controversies Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/misesmedia/sets/historical-controversies Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=147145 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/65AydcLEcQJbnXJ85drimp Music: "On the Ground" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0