Presented by John V. Quarstein, director emeritus, USS Monitor Center

Click here to watch live video with John V. Quarstein

Join us on Friday, August 28 at 12 p.m. for a Live Lecture with author and historian John V. Quarstein, director emeritus of the USS Monitor Center! John will give a 30-minute presentation about significant events with direct ties to the Hampton Roads region. Viewers are welcome to send him any comments or questions during the presentation, and John will answer them following his talk.

About the presentation: The place “Newport News” first appeared on a Dutch map, circa 1617. The name is believed to be based on Captain Christopher Newport’s five trips from England, beginning in 1607, to the New World, bringing settlers, supplies, and ‘news’ to Jamestown Colony. Newport News became internationally famous as from there, soldiers and citizens watched the first battle between ironclad ships. This site, where the James River flows into Hampton Roads, was recognized by railroad magnate Collis Potter Huntington as ideal for industrial development. Huntington then began the creation of the city of Newport News, Virginia, which quickly became a leading port city, railroad center, and home to the largest private shipyard in the United States.