Between two lakes just north of Filipstad is one of Sweden's best preserved mining environments, with a rare mineral richness and more than 400 years of industrial history. The story is seated between mines and foundry, mining pits, monumental piles of waste rock and in John Ericssongården's lush garden at the shore of Hyttsjön. Welcome to the mining district Bergslagen in Värmland!
The northern states blocked shipping routes to stifle the southern states' assets of equipment. To end the Union blockade, The Confederacy designed USS Merrimac. A low-going ironclad ship with ten powerful cannons that sank the northern states' wooden ships one by one.
But the Union had an ace up their sleeve, John Ericsson from Långban! He had built an ironclad boat that swept along the waterline with only a moving cannon tower visible above the surface. And it was the moving cannon tower with its two powerful cannons that was the key to USS Monitor's success in the battle of Hampton Roads, in March 8 to 9, 1862, the first naval battle between two ironclad ships. Because the southern states had to turn the entire Merrimac in order to aim their cannons, Monitor was able to turn away and gain fire with its moving tower. After a day-long battle with 22 hits each, Merrimac withdrew. The blockade was unthreatened and the North's victory was within reach.