This Beloved Football Food Tradition Started On A Civil War Battlefield

Before attending a football game or other sporting event, it is common practice to meet in the parking lot for a tailgate party. People cook or set out spreads of prepared foods and often partake in a few adult beverages before the main event kicks off. Interestingly, one of the first instances of what might be considered "tailgating" occurred back in 1861, only it wasn't a sporting event that drew the crowds but the first major battle of the Civil War.

The First Battle of Bull Run was waged on July 21, 1861, in Manassas, Virginia, about 30 miles from the capital, Washington, D.C. In addition to the Union General Irvin McDowell's 35,000 soldiers and the roughly 32,000 soldiers in the Southern armies under Generals Pierre G.T. Beauregard and Joseph E. Johnston, the battle also featured a band of onlookers who picnicked and observed from a distance as the drama unfolded.

While this description makes the whole affair sound a bit morbid, it is important to remember the time period. It took much longer to travel 30 miles in the 19th century than it does today, and there were not nearly so many easy places to grab a quick bite to eat while traveling, so some provisioning would be wise for such a trip. Additionally, the observers were not just looky-loos; many of them were congressmen, for whom the outcome of the battle was of great significance. Unfortunately, as the tide turned against the Federal army, they found their escape route crowded with the many carriages, complicating their retreat to Washington.

We can give the picnickers at the First Battle of Bull Run the benefit of the doubt and assume that they were there to learn the outcome of the battle rather than to cheer on the bloodshed while drinking and stuffing their faces. Then again, humans have a long history of pairing food with sports, and that includes bloodsport. In fact, we can easily trace the pairing of violence and food back to Ancient Rome and the snacks available at the Colosseum.

Despite the brutality of the gladiatorial combat taking place down on the sand, the spectators above them were known to indulge in olives, fruits, nuts, meats, and focaccia-like bread cooked onsite. Of course, there was also plenty of wine. It may be hard to imagine finding yourself with an appetite while watching human beings literally chop each other to bits, but, again, it was a different time. And there is food service at the modern, toned-down equivalent, UFC fights, so clearly some folks still find themselves with an appetite while observing physical violence.

Thankfully, sporting events throughout history have not always been so directly centered around violence — and these events were also known for having plenty of food. The ancient Olympic Games may have drawn as many as 50,000 spectators at their peak. These individuals brought up not only souvenirs but also plenty of food and drink while they watched the games.

It can certainly be argued that those picnickers at the First Battle of Bull Run were some of the first recorded tailgaters, given that they pulled up in their carriages to eat pies and watch a battle unfold. But who's to say that folks arriving at the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece didn't sit on their horse cart and pass a jug of wine and basket of figs before watching the discus? It seems that we may have always loved to watch other people do difficult things and to gorge ourselves on food and drink while doing so. From the Colosseum to the hot dogs at baseball games, we just love to tailgate.

We sometimes like to think of ourselves as being completely different from our ancestors, but these sorts of throughlines of humanity pop up, particularly when it comes to hedonistic pleasures. So, perhaps you should trade out the recipes at your next tailgate party and instead give a nod to history. Meatloaf has a history in Ancient Rome, or try making these Ancient-Rome-inspired deviled eggs. If the Olympics are more your speed, Ancient Greece is where cheesecake originated, and the garlicky Greek dip skordalia would fit perfectly in a standard game day spread. The foods of the Civil War might not be quite so enticing, but apparently Civil War soldiers knew how to whip up a fricassee. Whatever you choose to cook up for the next tailgate, you will at least know that you are taking part in an ancient human tradition.