#7: Picnic Baskets and Bayonets
The American Civil War eventually became one of the bloodiest conflicts in American history, but on day one, many saw the coming battles as an entertainment spectacle. The first official battle of this war was the Battle of Bull Run, which took place in Manassas, about 30 miles from Washington, D.C.
Apparently, this first battle was no sneak attack, and many civilians in D.C. got word of when and where it would occur. But their reaction was not to stay as far from the dangers of the battlefield as possible. On the contrary, groups of people brought their picnic baskets to the battle to see all the action in person.