Arkansas-class monitor

Bidding began for the construction of the new monitors on October 1, with the following results, including price:[7]

• USS Arkansas - Newport News Shipping & Dry Dock Company - $860,000[7]
• USS Connecticut - Bath Iron Works - $862,000[7]
• USS Florida - Crescent Shipyard - $825,000[7]
• USS Wyoming - Union Iron Works - $875,000[7]

Following the bidding, the Navy announced the names of the ships.[8][9]

The new Monitors were met with criticism by many, as their design and armament made them no greater than any of the older navy Monitors, such as the Monterey, Monadnock, and Terror. The main complaint was the single turret, rather than a two-turret design as seen on the USS Terror.[10][11][12] There were also those that argued that the entire building of four ships was a waste of money, as the monitors that participated in the Spanish-American War were met with considerable criticism, most chiefly from Rear Admiral William T. Sampson who criticized the slowness of the vessels and their firing accuracy.[13][14][15]

In response to these criticisms, Secretary of the Navy John D. Long ordered that all construction on the new vessels be halted while the Bureau of Naval Construction met to decide on changes in early November.[12] Lewis Nixon of the Crescent Shipyard, the contractors of the USS Florida, submitted a new design for the Monitors which the Navy appears to have favored.[11][16][17] The final proposed changes included the following:[18]

1. Replacing the single turret of two 12-inch guns with two turrets of two 10-inch guns in each
2. Increasing the maximum displacement from 2700 tons to 4000 tons
3. Increase the coal capacity from 200 tons to 400 tons
4. Lengthening the vessels by 30ft

The Navy was confident that changes could be made to the design within the $1.25 million dollar budget set by Congress as they were surprised at how low the bids were for the four ships, with the highest contract, costing $875,000, leaving a minimum of $350,000 left over for each ship. The four ships were originally contracted at a price of $3,422,000 altogether. Throughout November the Bureau and shipbuilders discussed possible design changes, with the shipbuilders stating that their proposed changes would still go over the budget set by the Naval Apportions Act. Eventually, the two sides came to an agreement, which included the following:[18]

1. Retention of the single turret with two 12-inch guns
2. Increased displacement by over 500 tons
3. Increased coal capacity
4. Lengthening the vessels from 225ft to 255ft

In the end, the most prominent point of contention, the main armament, was kept the same with the Navy receiving, on paper, most of what they wanted asides from that.[19] Due to the new changes, the contract place of all monitors were increased by $100,000.[20]

As November drew to a close, it was reported that the new Monitors would be armored with Krupp Steel, which would be a first for a vessel in the U.S. Navy.[21] However, Congress only authorized a maximum payment of $400 dollars a ton for armor, a price that was too low to purchase Krupp Steel. In June the Navy would instead outfit the ships with Harvey armor instead, which they purchased from both Carnegie Steel and Bethlehem Ironworks.[22][23][24] Contracts for this armor were made in August and September 1899, totaling 2,152 tons. The armor was of great want to the Navy in a timely manner and did not wish to have any delays.[25]

The same year it was launched, Connecticut would undergo a change that had been lobbied for since 1898, though not in its design but rather its name. The state of Connecticut protested that a small monitor was named after the state rather than a Battleship, as had been the case with Rhode Island. The Navy eventually relented, and the name was removed, with the former Connecticut being referred to as "Monitor No. 8" until another candidate was chosen. Oklahoma and Arizona both offered up their names before it eventually went to Nevada.[26][27][28]

Construction progressed throughout the remainder of the 19th century and in the fall of 1900, Wyoming, Arkansas, and Nevada were launched, with Florida following a year later. All Arkansas-Class Monitors were commissioned by the summer of 1903.[29]