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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225 Items found Print
Active Filters: 1st grade (Ages 6-7), In-Stock Books & Materials
A is for Abigail
by Lynne Cheney
1st edition from Simon and Schuster
for Kindergarten-4th grade
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$19.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
ABC Book of Early Americana - Coloring Book
by Eric Sloane
2012 Dover from Dover Publications
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Abraham Lincoln
A Rookie Biography
by Carol Greene
from Children's Press
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Abraham Lincoln & His Family - Paper Dolls
by Tom Tierney
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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
by Marianne Hering & Marshal Younger
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Amazing Pop-Up Pull-Out Space Shuttle
by David Hawcock
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$25.00 (1 in stock)
America in the Time of Abraham Lincoln
by Sally Senzell Isaacs
from Heinemann Library
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$4.00 (2 in stock)
American History for Young Students III
by Michelle Miller
from TruthQuest History
History Curriculum for 1st-6th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
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$29.95
American Made: The Colonial Child of 1740
by Marcia Fann
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Angel Child, Dragon Child
by Michele Maria Surat
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Animals Robert Scott Saw
by Sandra Markle
from Chronicle Books
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Apples to Oregon
by Deborah Hopkinson
Reprint from Aladdin Paperbacks
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$8.99
Aquila's Drinking Gourd
by Pamela Dell
from Tradition Books
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Astronauts on the Moon - Hallmark Pop-Up Book
by Al Muenchen and Stanley Hendricks
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Bad River Boys
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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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Baseball Saved Us
by Ken Mochizuki
from Lee & Low Books
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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
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$12.00
Benjamin in the Woods
Wonder Books Easy Reader
by Eleanor Clymer, illustrated by William Russell
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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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Book About Christopher Columbus
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Boxes for Katje
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1st edition from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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$19.99
Brave Girl
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from HarperCollins
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Brave Harriet
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Bravest Dog Ever
Step Into Reading Level 3
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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
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Cassie's Journey
by Brett Harvey; illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray
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Chang's Paper Pony
An I Can Read Book Level 3
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Children's Color Book of Jamestown in Virginia
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Choosing Brave
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2023 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book
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Christopher Columbus
by Elaine Murray Stone
500 Anv from Tyndale House
Biography for Preschool-3rd Grade
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Civil War Artist
by Taylor Morrison
from HMH Books for Young Readers
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Classical Acts and Facts History Cards: Modern World
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Classical Acts and Facts History Cards: New World
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Colonial America
by Donald M. Silver, Patricia J. Wynne
from Scholastic Inc.
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Colonial America Cooperative Learning Activities
from Scholastic Inc.
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$3.50 (1 in stock)
Colonial Town: Williamsburg
by Bobbie Kalman
Revised from Crabtree Publishing
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$4.50 (2 in stock)
Coming to America
by Betsy Maestro
from Scholastic Inc.
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Coming to America
by Betsy Maestro
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Continents: Antarctica
by Leila Merrell Foster
from Heinemann Library
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
Cornstalks and Cannonballs
by Barbara Mitchell
from Carolrhoda Books, Inc.
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$5.00 (1 in stock)
Courage of Sarah Noble
by Alice Dalgliesh
Reissue from Aladdin Paperbacks
Realistic Fiction for Kindergarten-6th grade
1955 Newbery Honor Book
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Crossing Bok Chitto
by Tim Tingle
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Daniel Boone
by Carol Greene
from Children's Press
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Draw the Titanic
by Andrew Staiano, illustrated by Jason Pederson
from Scholastic Inc.
for All ages
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Draw Write Now Book 3
by Marie Hablitzel & Kim Stitzer
from In the Think of Things
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Dust for Dinner
by Ann Turner
from HarperCollins
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$4.99
Early American History for Primary Grades - Guide
by Rea Berg
3rd edition from Beautiful Feet Books
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$29.95
Early Settler Storybook
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Elizabeth Leads the Way
by Tanya Lee Stone, illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon
from Square Fish Publishing
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Emperor's Egg
by Martin Jenkins
from Candlewick Press
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$8.99
Encounter
by Jane Yolen
1st edition from Voyager Paperbacks
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Enemies of Slavery
from Holiday House
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F is for Freedom
by Roni Schotter
from Scholastic Press
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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
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$12.00 (3 in stock)
Famous Figures of the Civil War
from Figures in Motion
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$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
First Book Edition of the Star-Spangled Banner
by Francis Scott Key, Richard B. Morris, illustrated by Henry S. Gillette
First Printing from Franklin Watts
for 1st-3rd grade
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
First Thanksgiving
Step into Reading Level 3
by Linda Hayward
from Random House
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$4.99
First Thanksgiving
by Jean Craighead George
from Putnam Juvenile
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$7.99
Flag for Our Country
by Eve Spencer
from Steck-Vaughn Company
Non-Fiction for 1st-3rd grade
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$6.00
Flight
by Robert Burleigh; illustrated by Mike Wimmer
from Philomel Books
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
1992 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award
in Aviation History (Location: HISV-AVIA)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Follow the Dream
by Peter Sís
from Dragonfly Books
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in Age of Exploration (1450-1700) (Location: HISA-16EXP)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Food and Recipes of Westward Expansion
Cooking Throughout American History
by George Erdosh
1st edition from PowerKids Press
for 1st-4th grade
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$4.50 (1 in stock)
Freedom on the Menu
by Carole Boston Weatherford
Reprint from Puffin Books
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968) (Location: HISA-20CIV)
$6.99
George Washington's Breakfast
by Jean Fritz
from PaperStar Books
Biography for 1st-4th grade
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Gingerbread for Liberty!
by Mara Rockliff, Illustrated by Vincent X. Kirsch
from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$17.99
Glorious Flight
by Martin & Alice Provensen
from Puffin Books
Historical Non-Fiction/Picture Books for 1st-3rd grade
1984 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Going to Town
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
from Scholastic Press
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Going West
by Martin Waddell, illustratred by Philippe Dupasquier
from Harper & Row
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$5.00 (1 in stock)
Going West!
Kalideoscope Kids Book
by Carol A. Johmann, Elizabeth J. Rieth
from Williamson Publishing Company
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in Pioneer & Frontier Life (Location: HISA-19PIO)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Golden Book of Space Exploration
by Dinah L. Moche
from Golden Books
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in Space Race & Exploration (Location: HISA-20SPR)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
from kahoku Shimpo Publishing Co
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$10.00 (1 in stock)
Hanna's Cold Winter
by Trish Marx & Barbara Knutson
from Purple House Press
for Nursery-2nd grade
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$11.95
Happy Birthday, Dr. King!
by Kathryn Jones, Illustrated by Floyd Cooper
from Modern Curriculum Press
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$2.00 (1 in stock)
Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King
by Jean Marzollo, illustrated by J. Brian Pinkney
2006th edition from Scholastic Inc.
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$4.50 (1 in stock)
Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King
by Jean Marzollo, illustrated by J. Brian Pinkney
from Scholastic Inc.
Picture Book Biography for Kindergarten-3rd grade
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Henry Ford
by Dina El Nabli
from HarperCollins
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$2.50 (1 in stock)
Henry's Freedom Box
by Ellen Levine
from Scholastic Press
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2008 Caldecott Honor Book
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$17.99
House on Walenska Street
by Charlotte Herman
from Avyx, Inc.
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
How Many Days to America?
by Eve Bunting
for 1st-4th grade
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
How Sweet the Sound
by Carole Boston Weatherford, Illustrated by Frank Morrison
from Atheneum
for 1st-4th grade
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$17.99
How They Built the Statue of Liberty
by Mary J. Shapiro, illustrated by Huck Scarry
from Random House
for 1st-4th grade
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
I am Sacagawea
Ordinary People Change the World
by Brad Meltzer, illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos
from Dial Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
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$5.00 (1 in stock)
In 1492
by Jean Marzollo
from Scholastic Inc.
Picture Book Biography for Kindergarten-3rd grade
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$2.50 (1 in stock)
In 1492
by Jean Marzollo
from Scholastic Inc.
Picture Book Biography for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Age of Exploration (1450-1700) (Location: HISA-16EXP)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
In Search of the Lost Colony
Outer Banks Animals Adventure Series
by Mary Maden
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in New World Colonization (Location: HISA-17NW)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Isaac Newton and the Laws of Motion
by Andrea Gianopoulos
1st edition from Capstone Press
for 1st-4th grade
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$7.95 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Jamestown
Adventures in Colonial America
by James Knight
from Beautiful Feet Books
Non-fiction for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Jamestown Colony (Location: HISA-17JA)
$6.95 $4.00 (1 in stock)
John Brown: One Man Against Slavery
by Gwen Everett, Illustrated by Jacob Lawrence
from Rizzoli International Publications
for 1st-3rd grade
in Slavery & the Underground Railroad (Location: HISA-19SL)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
John, Paul, George & Ben
by Lane Smith
1st edition from Hyperion/Madison Press
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
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