A Perfect Day for a Picnic? The Unbelievable Scene at the First Battle of Bull Run

This activity requires students to consider the mentality of the "spectators" at the First Battle of Bull Run and conduct a mock interview.

1. Warm-Up (10 minutes)

Display an illustration or description of spectators watching Bull Run with picnic baskets.

Ask students:

• Why do you think people treated the first battle like entertainment?
• What does this tell you about how people viewed the war at the start?

2. Mini-Lecture / Background Review (10–15 minutes)

Provide a short overview of the First Battle of Bull Run:

• Union expectations of a quick victory
• Crowds of civilians from Washington came to watch
• The shocking outcome: Confederate victory, Union retreat, and chaos
• Long-term significance: realization that the war would not be quick or easy

Review key Northern advantages (industry, population, infrastructure), and discuss why early confidence may have been misguided.

3. Activity: Spectator Interview Writing (20–25 minutes)

Introduce the scenario: students are reporters interviewing a Union-supporting spectator at the start of the battle. They must imagine how the spectator would answer the reporter’s questions using both creativity and historical facts.

Prompt:

Reporter: It’s a beautiful day! What’s in the picnic basket?
Spectator: 

Reporter: So, you came all the way from Washington. What do you hope to see here at the hills of Manassas?
Spectator: 

Reporter: Why don’t you think the Southerners have any chance?
Spectator:

Encourage students to:

• Write authentic-sounding, confident, or even naive responses
• Use vocabulary and ideas from the period
• Include humor or irony if it fits the tone

4. Sharing & Discussion (10–15 minutes)

Invite volunteers to read their interviews aloud.

Discussion questions:

• What surprised you about people’s attitudes at the start of the war?
• How would this same spectator feel a few hours later?
• What lessons do we learn about assumptions during wartime?