Wide Awake's latest documentary explores the first major land battle of The American Civil War. Manassas 1861 goes in-depth to put you into the ranks with the young soldiers experiencing, for the first time, the very violent combat of the war that defined our nation.

From primary accounts of the frontline soldiers to massive scale reenactment (2001 National Reenactment) battle formations, this film provides an authentic view of the uniforms, strategy and innocence that so colorfully shaped the First Battle of Manassas. Wide Awake Films puts you directly in the middle of the action in a unique documentary style. Like other videos in our collection, Manassas 1861 makes use of different film mediums, including archival-looking footage that provides a sense of what the battle might have looked like in a black and white "WWI-esque" fashion. Animated maps keep you abreast of each army's tactical movements.