Answer:
The conclusion that can be drawn from the first battle of the ironclads, the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia (formerly the Merrimack), is:
"The era of wooden warships was at an end."
This conclusion is supported by the fact that the ironclads demonstrated their superiority over traditional wooden warships during the battle. The Monitor and Virginia marked a significant shift in naval warfare, highlighting the effectiveness of ironclad vessels and signaling the decline of wooden warships in modern naval combat. This battle was a pivotal moment in the transition from wooden to ironclad warships in the Civil War era.