Following the United States' declaration of war against Germany, the Navy Department needed to build a large number of vessels in a short period of time. To compound the innumerable complications of jump-starting an industry, an inexperienced workforce required training in what was once a highly-specialized trade. The Navy Department overcame these obstacles in part by employing recently-popularized methods of mass-production; the principles of standardization were applied in the designs and construction of wooden and steel ships. | Creator: Image courtesy of Cleveland MetroparksDownload Original File
