Editing Manassas, Virginia (section)

==Etymology==

[[File:Troop movement map ... Second Battle of Manassas, August 28, (thru August 30) 1862 ... Manassas National Battlefield Park, Virginia LOC 96684567-15.jpg|thumb|Troop Movement map during the Second Battle of Manassas ]]

The [[independent city]] of Manassas takes its name from uncertain origins. One theory posits a [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] origin, potentially from a word such as Manas, meaning “island” or denoting a gathering place. Another theory suggests it derives from Manasseh, a name of a [[Jews|Jewish]] peddler or [[innkeeper]] Manasseh who lived near the railroad junction in the early [[19th century]]. Despite the exact origin remaining undocumented, a historical landmark sign was placed at the intersection of Stuart Ave and Grant Ave with the previously named theories inscribed onto it .<ref>{{cite web |author=Contributed by [[HistoricalMarkerDatabase]] |title=Manassas|url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=23697 |publisher=HMDB.org}}</ref>
As the [[Orange and Alexandria Railroad]] established a junction in the mid-[[1800s (decade)|1800s]], the name Manassas came to denote the [[railroad junction]] and surrounding settlement. The area gained historical significance during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] as the site of the [[The Battles of Bull Run|First and Second Battles of Manassas]] (also known as Bull Run), and the name persisted into the modern era.<ref>{{cite web |author=Contributed by [[Virginia Railway Express]] |title=History of Manassas|url=https://www.vre.org/blog-history-of-manassas/#:~:text=Two%20railroads%2C%20the%20Manassas%20Gap,Early%20May%201861%2C%20Col. |publisher=Virginia Railway Express}}</ref>

[[File:West Prince William Map.png|thumb|Map of Manassas , VA / Western Prince William County]]

Since its origin the city has lied along key transportation routes which have led to the area being incorporated into major developments such as [[Interstate 66]] and major rail lines, and serving as the [[county seat|government center]]  for [[Prince William County, Virginia|Prince William County]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Contributed by [[DataCenterMap]] |title=Data Center Alley and Northern Virginia |url=https://www.datacentermap.com/content/nova/ |publisher=DataCenterMap}}</ref>