Civil War Ironclad

We decided to take a history field trip on our way from Mississippi to Texas.  We've started studying the Civil War, and while we are not to Vicksburg yet, I thought going and seeing some of the exhibits there would give the girls a good picture to have in mind when we do get to it.
The first big monument we came to was the Illinois Monument.  This commemorates the troops from Illinois that participated in the campaign and seige to take Vicksburg.  It is a pretty awesome open-air building.

What I really wanted the girls to see in Vicksburg was the Union Ironclad that was salvaged and refurbished at the park.  It's hard to picture the size and mechanics of these ships without seeing one I think.  The kids tend to think of ships like the ones we have now, so an ironclad is a strange shape to them.  We got to talk about why the armies started making ironclads, how they fought against each other, and how they worked on the inside.  It is always better to stand in the ship than to just talk about it!

There is also a nice little museum there with all the things that they brought up along with the ship.  They have models of what the ship would have looked like too.

We also got to watch an interactive exhibit what showed what happened as the Union armies took the surrounding forts and towns then laid seige to Vicksburg.  I love boards like this one!  It is so helpful to see the lights telling you which army is where, how and when they moved, and when fighting broke out.  There were also exhibits showing what some of the dug-out shelters in the bluffs looked like and had inside.  It was very much worth the stop!