The Mariners’ Museum and Park in Newport News is taking its popular lecture series on Civil War and Hampton Roads history virtual, and making them available for free.

John V. Quarstein, director emeritus of the USS Monitor Center, continues to lead both lecture series online from his home in Hampton. Both series will be held on select Fridays at noon (EST).

A long-running series for American history enthusiasts, Civil War lectures explore the ships, personalities, technologies and battles that would shape our nation for the next 150 years. The renowned author starts off the first of seven this fall this Friday with a presentation about USS Roanoke being the first ironclad with more than two gun turrets.

On Oct. 9, Quarstein will examine the origins of CSS Sumter under the leadership of Commander Raphael Semmes and later dive into the Battle of Galveston on Oct. 23. He returns the following month to talk about one of the earliest amphibious operations of the Civil War on Nov. ...