Modern History

There isn't more history in the last five centuries than all the previous millennia, we just have more plentiful records of it. In all honesty, sometimes the plethora of detail isn't only overwhelming, it obscures the whole point of the story. As humans, we're all too susceptible to the lure of obscurity, to the desire for darkness where there ought to be light.

In many ways, this is the chief characteristic of modern history. Mankind seems to have accepted Enlightenment ideals en masse, and the result is the non-stop acquisition of knowledge, as though information could shut us off from the eye of a just and jealous God. Evolutionary theory, psychology, existentialism and postmodernism, public education, Communism—all these ideas are intended to put man at a further remove from God.

During the Renaissance, thinkers and artists decided that if man was going to make himself great, he'd have to replicate the glory of the Classical Era, with its enduring artifacts and intellectual produce. Enlightenment thinkers took this one step further, insisting that man could only know what he could deduce using reason alone, and consequently amassing knowledge in order to have a more thorough basis for such reasonable inquiry.

Since then, philosophers and scientists have devoted themselves to interpreting the facts from a purely human perspective, creating a picture of the universe that is mechanistic and godless. Meaning is dead, God is dead, and hope is dead, but the Enlightenment ideal of human progress (repackaged as Darwinian naturalism) is alive and well, the phantom idol of countless millions.

Even a brief survey of the last century would seem to demolish the possibility of any such idea, but it continues to inform nearly every element of our culture, from pop music to public policy debates. Atrocities like the Holocaust, racism in America, abortion, and totalitarian rule in Asian countries are reinterpreted or explained away to fit the overarching rubrik of sustained forward progress.

Christians understand things a bit differently. We aren't pessimists by any means, but we aren't blind optimists, either. God's plan entails one thing: His ultimate glory, and for those who believe His promises and trust Him for salvation, that's the most hopeful doctrine conceivable. At the same time, we also understand that man's efforts cannot be responsible for whatever good befalls us, that "progress" is only a gift of the Most High, and that only through the Holy Spirit is evil overcome by good.

The modern world is increasingly secular. Even in the Church, men and women stray from biblical truth in favor of appealing arguments on behalf of man, substituting a Christ-centered Gospel with one that is primarily focused on mankind and our individual salvation. We must counter these attitudes with God's truth, but we can only do so with an understanding of where those ideas come from and why they've taken root. A thorough study of modern history can and will provide those answers, and teach us how to stand firm in the truth we hold dear.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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365 Items found Print
Active Filters: 1st grade (Ages 6-7)
A is for Abigail
by Lynne Cheney
1st edition from Simon and Schuster
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ABC Book of Early Americana - Coloring Book
by Eric Sloane
2012 Dover from Dover Publications
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Abraham Lincoln
A Rookie Biography
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Abraham Lincoln & His Family - Paper Dolls
by Tom Tierney
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Adèle & Simon in America
by Barbara McClintock
1st edition from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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Ahoy There, Little Polar Bear
by Hans de Beer
Fir from Scholastic Inc.
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AIO Imagination Station Book #06
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$5.99
Akiak: A Tale From the Iditarod
by Robert J. Blake
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All Through the Ages
by Christine Miller
3rd edition from Nothing New Press
World History Reference for All grades
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Amazing Pop-Up Pull-Out Space Shuttle
by David Hawcock
from DK Publishing
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$25.00 (1 in stock)
America Begins
by Alice Dalgliesh, illustrated by Lois Maloy
Revised Edition from Charles Scribner's Sons
for 1st-3rd grade
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America in the Time of Abraham Lincoln
by Sally Senzell Isaacs
from Heinemann Library
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in American Civil War (1860-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
American Army of Two
On My Own History
by Janet Greeson
Reprint from First Avenue Editions
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American History for Young Students I
by Michelle Miller
from TruthQuest History
History Curriculum for 1st-5th grade
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American History for Young Students II
by Michelle Miller
from TruthQuest History
History Curriculum for 1st-5th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in TruthQuest History (Location: HISCUR-TQ)
American History for Young Students III
by Michelle Miller
from TruthQuest History
History Curriculum for 1st-6th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in TruthQuest History (Location: HISCUR-TQ)
$29.95
American Made: The Colonial Child of 1740
by Marcia Fann
from Great American Coloring Book, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
Angel Child, Dragon Child
by Michele Maria Surat
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
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$2.00 (1 in stock)
Animals Robert Scott Saw
by Sandra Markle
from Chronicle Books
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Antarctic Antics
by Judy Sierra
Reprint from HMH Books for Young Readers
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Apples to Oregon
by Deborah Hopkinson
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$8.99
Aquila's Drinking Gourd
by Pamela Dell
from Tradition Books
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Arctic Son
by Jean Craighead George, illustrated by Wendell Minor
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Astronauts on the Moon - Hallmark Pop-Up Book
by Al Muenchen and Stanley Hendricks
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Astronauts Sticker Book
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Aurora Means Dawn
by Scott Russell Sanders
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Bad River Boys
by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, illustrated by Bill Farnsworth
from Holiday House
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$5.00 (1 in stock)
Balto and the Great Race
Totally True Adventures
by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
1st Printing from Random House Books for Young Readers
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$5.99
Baseball Saved Us
by Ken Mochizuki
from Lee & Low Books
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$9.95
Beethoven's Heroic Symphony (Once Upon a Masterpiece)
from Charlesbridge
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$16.95
Ben Franklin
See and Read: Beginning to Read Biography
by Estelle Friedman, illustrated by James Caraway
from G.P. Putnam's Sons
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$12.00 (1 in stock)
Benjamin Franklin Lap-Pak
by Amy Pak
from Home School in the Woods
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in Hands-On History Activity-Paks (Location: HISRF-HOH)
$12.00
Benjamin in the Woods
Wonder Books Easy Reader
by Eleanor Clymer, illustrated by William Russell
from Wonder Books
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$7.00 (1 in stock)
Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin
by Marguerite Henry & Wesley Dennis
from Bobbs-Merril Co
Biography for 1st-6th grade
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Big-Enough Anna
by Pam Flowers
No Edition Stated from Alaska Northwest Books
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Billy the Union Soldier with 24 Stickers - Activity Book
by A. G. Smith
from Dover Publications
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Birds of Killingworth
by Robert D. San Souci, illustrated by Kimberly Bulcken Root
1st edition from Sun Dial Press
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$8.00 (1 in stock)
Blue Feather's Vision
Adventures in Colonial America
by James Knight
from Troll Publishing
Non-fiction for Kindergarten-3rd grade
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Blue Feather's Vision
Adventures in Colonial America
by James Knight
from Troll Publishing
Non-fiction for Kindergarten-3rd grade
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Book About Christopher Columbus
by Ruth Belov Gross, Illustrated by Syd Hoff
from Scholastic Inc.
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
Boston Tea Party
by Russel Freedman, Illustrated by Peter Malone
from Holiday House
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Boxes for Katje
by Candace Fleming
1st edition from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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$19.99
Bracelet, The
by Yoshika Uchida
from PaperStar Books
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Brave Girl
by Michelle Markel, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
from HarperCollins
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Brave Harriet
by Marissa Moss
from Harcourt Children's Books
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Bravest Dog Ever
Step Into Reading Level 3
by Natalie Standiford
from Random House
Animal Stories for 1st-3rd grade
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$5.99
Brothers at Bat
by Audrey Vernick
from Clarion Books
for 1st-3rd grade
in Great Depression (1929-1939) (Location: HISA-20GD)
Brothers in Hope
by Mary Williams, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
from Lee & Low Books
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2006 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award
in Africa (Location: HISMC-AFR)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Bugle, A Puppy in Old Yorktown
by Mary Andrews, Illustrated by Manning de V. Lee
from Rand McNally
for Preschool-1st grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
Building an Igloo
by Ulli Steltzer
from Square Fish Publishing
for 1st-3rd grade
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Calamity Jane
by Doris Faber
from Houghton Mifflin
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Carl Linnaeus
Great Minds of Science
by Margaret Anderson
from Enslow
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Cassie's Journey
by Brett Harvey; illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray
from Holiday House
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$6.50 (2 in stock)
Chang's Paper Pony
An I Can Read Book Level 3
by Eleanor Coerr
from HarperCollins
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Chief Seattle
by Elizabeth Rider Montgomery
from Garrard Publishing Company
for 1st-3rd grade
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Children's Color Book of Jamestown in Virginia
by Priscilla Hunt
from The Dietz Pres, Inc.
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
Choosing Brave
by Angela Joy, illustrated by Janelle Washington
from Roaring Brook Press
for 1st-4th grade
2023 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$19.99
Christopher Columbus
by Elaine Murray Stone
500 Anv from Tyndale House
Biography for Preschool-3rd Grade
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$6.50 (1 in stock)
Civil War Artist
by Taylor Morrison
from HMH Books for Young Readers
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in American Civil War (1860-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Classical Acts and Facts History Cards: Modern World
from Classical Conversations
for Kindergarten-8th grade
in Classical Acts & Facts Cards (Location: HISCUR-CC)
$24.99
Classical Acts and Facts History Cards: New World
from Classical Conversations
for Kindergarten-8th grade
in Classical Acts & Facts Cards (Location: HISCUR-CC)
$24.99
Colonial America
by Donald M. Silver, Patricia J. Wynne
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Colonial America Cooperative Learning Activities
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-4th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Colonial Town: Williamsburg
by Bobbie Kalman
Revised from Crabtree Publishing
for 1st-8th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$4.50 (2 in stock)
Coming on Home Soon
by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E. B. Lewis
1st edition from G.P. Putnam's Sons
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
2005 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Coming to America
by Betsy Maestro
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Immigration & Emigration (Location: HISA-20IM)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Coming to America
by Betsy Maestro
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Immigration & Emigration (Location: HISA-20IM)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Continents: Antarctica
by Leila Merrell Foster
from Heinemann Library
for 1st-3rd grade
in Geography Reference (Location: GEO-REF)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Cornstalks and Cannonballs
by Barbara Mitchell
from Carolrhoda Books, Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Country Artist
by David R. Collins
from First Avenue Editions
Biography for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Courage of Sarah Noble
by Alice Dalgliesh
Reissue from Aladdin Paperbacks
Realistic Fiction for Kindergarten-6th grade
1955 Newbery Honor Book
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$5.99
Cowboy Small
by Lois Lenski
from Random House
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Cowboys
Usborne Beginners Level 1
by Catriona Clarke
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Usborne Beginners (Location: SCI-USBREA)
Crossing Bok Chitto
by Tim Tingle
from Cinco Puntos Pres
for 1st-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$12.95
Cruise of Mr. Christopher Columbus
A Really Truly Story
by Sadyebeth & Anson Lowitz
from Lerner Publishing Group
Biography for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Daniel Boone
by Carol Greene
from Children's Press
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Draw the Titanic
by Andrew Staiano, illustrated by Jason Pederson
from Scholastic Inc.
for All ages
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Draw Write Now Book 3
by Marie Hablitzel & Kim Stitzer
from In the Think of Things
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Draw Write Now (Location: ELE-ARTDWN)
$19.99
Drawing America: Sacajawea
Drawing America
by Elaine Raphael & Don Bolognese
from Scholastic Inc.
Biography for 1st-3rd grade
in Lewis & Clark (Location: HISA-19L&C)
Duel of the Ironclads
by Patrick O'Brien
from Walker and Company
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in American Civil War (1860-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
Dust for Dinner
by Ann Turner
from HarperCollins
for 1st-2nd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$4.99
Early American History - Your Story Hour CDs
by Your Story Hour
from Your Story Hour
for Kindergarten-6th grade
in Beautiful Feet Books (Location: HISCUR-BFB)
Early American History for Primary Grades - Guide
by Rea Berg
3rd edition from Beautiful Feet Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Beautiful Feet Books (Location: HISCUR-BFB)
$29.95
Early Settler Storybook
from Crabtree Publishing
for 1st-4th grade
in Pioneer & Frontier Life (Location: HISA-19PIO)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Elizabeth Leads the Way
by Tanya Lee Stone, illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon
from Square Fish Publishing
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in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Emperor's Egg
by Martin Jenkins
from Candlewick Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Encounter
by Jane Yolen
1st edition from Voyager Paperbacks
for 1st-6th grade
in Age of Exploration (1450-1700) (Location: HISA-16EXP)
$8.99
Enemies of Slavery
from Holiday House
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Eureka! It's an Airplane
by Jeanne Bendick
from Millbrook Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Aviation History (Location: HISV-AVIA)
F is for Freedom
by Roni Schotter
from Scholastic Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$1.50 (1 in stock)
Famous Figures of the American Revolution
from Figures in Motion
for Kindergarten-6th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$12.00 (3 in stock)
Famous Figures of the Civil War
from Figures in Motion
for Kindergarten-6th grade
in American Civil War (1860-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$16.95
Famous Figures of the Early Modern Era
by Cathy Diez-Luckie
from Figures in Motion
for 1st-7th grade
in Modern History (Location: HISW-MOD)
$19.95
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