Process Paper
When deciding our topic, my partner and I chose from an age that we both enjoyed, the Civil War. From there we chose a theme from that time period that we were both comfortable with industrialization. Then from the remaining few topic ideas we chose the development of ironclad ships. We knew we had to narrow down our topic, and as we began researching, we discovered that the Battle of Hampton Roads was one of the most defining moments in the development of ironclads, so we chose that as our topic.
In our preliminary research, we checked out books from our local library and browsed the internet for reliable sources that gave context behind the battle. We realized early on that we would have to show how certain events led up to the civil war, so we began to research the Crimean war when ships first began to be armored. We then turned our focus to after the battle, and researched the change in the Civil War and in naval technology.
With our basic research done, we realized that a website would best fit our topic because it would allow us to integrate all of the pictures we had found as well as the many first-hand accounts of the battle. Our topic is the perfect example of a turning point in history because it had instant effects on the war and long-lasting effects on naval technology as a whole. After qualifying for nationals, we enlisted the help of a history professor from Gonzaga University and incorporated her interview into our website to strengthen our understanding of our topic and its relevance.
The more we research the Battle of Hampton Roads, the more we realize how essential it was to developing America’s military technology.
In our preliminary research, we checked out books from our local library and browsed the internet for reliable sources that gave context behind the battle. We realized early on that we would have to show how certain events led up to the civil war, so we began to research the Crimean war when ships first began to be armored. We then turned our focus to after the battle, and researched the change in the Civil War and in naval technology.
With our basic research done, we realized that a website would best fit our topic because it would allow us to integrate all of the pictures we had found as well as the many first-hand accounts of the battle. Our topic is the perfect example of a turning point in history because it had instant effects on the war and long-lasting effects on naval technology as a whole. After qualifying for nationals, we enlisted the help of a history professor from Gonzaga University and incorporated her interview into our website to strengthen our understanding of our topic and its relevance.
The more we research the Battle of Hampton Roads, the more we realize how essential it was to developing America’s military technology.