Chronological History

Sometimes we speak of world history as though it belongs to people. It doesn't—it belongs to God, and though people play prominently within the historical narrative, it always remains under God's auspices and control. The problem with losing the right perspective isn't that we'll get the facts wrong, it's that we'll fail to understand what they mean, what the purpose of past events is, and what we can look forward to.

Human history began all at once in the same place: the Garden of Eden, where God made Adam and Eve as the crown of all Creation. He told them to fill the earth and take dominion of it, and He also told them not to eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. They ate the fruit anyway, and mankind was removed from paradise and introduced to tension, pain, and resistance.

The story of the world is in many ways simply the story of adversity. For the enemies of God, it's adversity in the form of the failure and futility of purely human endeavor; for God's people, it's the story of fighting for the truth against secular philosophies, fighting for holiness despite the pervasiveness of sin, and fighting for the Gospel in the face of persecution and death.

Jesus Christ is our only hope. He is the Prince of Peace, the defeater of Death, and the King of the Universe, the saver of souls and the punisher of wickedness. His kingdom is the restoration and glorious fulfillment of the paradise from which Adam and Eve were removed, and we work, wait, hope and pray for the quick fulfillment of His will in all things.

This is our framework for history. While it's important to study things like the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, and the ancient Near East, it's only important when investigated through the lens of God's ultimate sovereignty and plan. The story of mankind is the story of redemption, and only when we analyze battles, kings, treaties, and catastrophes from God's perspective can we truly make sense of them.

Otherwise, it's all fairly irrelevant and useless. Sure, there's Napoleon's dictum that those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it, but a quick survey of the past will show that each successive generation does repeat the sins of their fathers, and that without Christ's real physical life on Earth as a centering point, there's no real cause for optimism or hope of any kind.

Christ's love not only makes the trajectory of history cause for hope; it reveals the truly great moments of the past, events that to the secular eye seem insignificant or even pernicious. We're speaking of the progress of the true Church, of course, and of each soul that God calls and makes His own through the agency of His Holy Spirit. These are the milestones we look for and celebrate.

We carry a lot of world history products. Because it's the story of God's work in the world and our human responses, we believe it's important to know and understand. Not everything we carry is Christian; there are plenty of secular resources here. We encourage you to use whichever ones work best for your situation, but that you do so with a view to understanding the will and work of the One who made history in the first place.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes 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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Abe's Honest Words
by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
from Disney-Hyperion
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Abraham Lincoln
A Rookie Biography
by Carol Greene
from Children's Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Adventurous Life of Myles Standish OSI
by Cheryl Harness
from National Geographic
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Africa Is My Home
by Monica Edinger, illustrated by Robert Byrd
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Slavery & the Underground Railroad (Location: HISA-19SL)
$2.80 (1 in stock)
Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider
by Jean Fritz; illustrated by Ian Schoenherr
from Puffin Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
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Amelia Earhart
by Francene Sabin and Joanne Mattern, illustrated by Karen Milone
from Scholastic Inc.
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Assassination of John F. Kennedy: November 22, 1963
24 Hour History
by Terry Collins
from Capstone Press
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$3.60 (1 in stock)
Bold Composer
Creative Minds Biographies
by Judith P. Josephson, illustrated by Barbara Kiwak
from Lerner Publishing Group
for 2nd-4th grade
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Boy Who Loved Bugs
by Molly Sanchez, illustrated by Larissa Sharina
from The Good and the Beautiful
for Preschool-2nd grade
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Calamity Jane
by Doris Faber
from Houghton Mifflin
for 1st-4th grade
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Chief Joseph: Leader of Destiny
by Kate Jassem
from Troll Associates
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$2.40 (2 in stock)
Complete Maus
by Art Spiegelman
from Pantheon Books
for 10th-Adult
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Dear Benjamin Banneker
by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney
from Houghton Mifflin
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$8.49
Electrical Wizard
by Elizabeth Rusch, illustrated by Oliver Dominguez
from Candlewick Press
for 3rd-6th grade
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$2.80 (1 in stock)
Elizabeth I, the People's Queen
by Kerrie Logan Hollihan
from Chicago Review Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$7.60 (1 in stock)
Famous Pioneers & Frontiersmen
What a Character! Notable Lives from History
by Marilyn Boyer
from Master Books
for 4th-8th grade
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Farmland Innovator
Creative Minds Biographies
by Catherine A. Welch, illustrated by Jan Naimo Jones
from Lerner Publishing Group
for 2nd-4th grade
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$3.60 (1 in stock)
For You They Signed
by Marilyn Boyer
All-in-One Edition from Master Books
for 7th-9th grade
in Master Books History (Location: HISCUR-MB)
$39.19
Frank Lloyd Wright for Kids
by Kathleen Thorne-Thomsen
2nd edition from Chicago Review Press
for 4th-7th grade
in Architecture and Sculpture (Location: ELE-ARC)
$7.20 (1 in stock)
George Washington You Never Knew
by James Lincoln Collier
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
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$3.20 (1 in stock)
Hannibal: A Wicked History
by Philip Brooks
from Franklin Watts
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$2.80 (1 in stock)
Happy Birthday, Dr. King!
by Kathryn Jones, Illustrated by Floyd Cooper
from Modern Curriculum Press
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
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$1.60 (1 in stock)
Home Run: The Story of Babe Ruth
by Robert Burleigh, illustrated by Mike Wimmer
from Clarion Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
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$4.50 (1 in stock)
If You Grew Up With George Washington
If You Were There
by Ruth Belov Gross
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
J.R.R. Tolkien for Kids OSI
by Simonetta Carr
from Chicago Review Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Jackie Robinson Breaks the Color Line
Cornerstones of Freedom series
by Andrew Santella
from Scholastic Inc.
Non-fiction for 4th-6th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Jesse Owens: Gold Medal Hero
Sterling Biographies
by Jim Gigliotti
from Sterling Publishing Co.
for 3rd-6th grade
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Joan of Arc: Heavenly Warrior
Sterling Biographies
by Tabatha Yeatts
from Sterling Publishing Co.
for 3rd-6th grade
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John Hancock
by Candice Ransom
from Barnes & Noble
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$2.40 (1 in stock)
Kinderlager
by Milton J. Nieuwsma
from Scholastic Inc.
for 6th-Adult
in Holocaust (Location: HISW-20WW2H)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Leonardo da Vinci
by Emily Hahn
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
for 5th-8th grade
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$6.40 (1 in stock)
Luther: The Graphic Novel
by Susan K. Leigh, illustrated by Dave Hill
from Concordia Publishing House
for 3rd-6th grade
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$4.80 (1 in stock)
Marco Polo
by Struan Reid
from Heinemann Library
for 3rd-6th grade
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
My Name is York
by Elizabeth Van Steenwyk, illustrated by Bill Farnsworth
from Rising Moon Books
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Nathan Hale
Hidden History: Spies
by Aaron Derr, Illustrated by Tami Wicinas
from Red Chair Press
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in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Picture Book of Florence Nightingale
by David A. Adler, illustrated by John & Alexandra Wallner
Repackaged from Holiday House
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
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$3.60 (1 in stock)
Polycarp of Smyrna
Heroes of the Faith
by Sinclair B. Ferguson
from Banner of Truth Trust
for 3rd-6th grade
in Church History for Kids (Location: XCH-KID)
$10.00
Remembering John McCrae
by Linda Granfield
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
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$3.60 (1 in stock)
Robert Fulton
by Marguerite Henry; illustrated by Robert Patterson
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
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$5.00 (4 in stock)
Rosa
by Nikki Giovanni, illustrated by Bryan Collier
from Square Fish Publishing
for 1st-4th grade
2006 Caldecott Honor Book
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$8.49
Rosa
by Nikki Giovanni, illustrated by Bryan Collier
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-4th grade
2006 Caldecott Honor Book
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Sacajawea: Wilderness Guide
by Kate Jassem
from Troll Publishing
Biography for Preschool-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Sophie Takes to the Sky
by Katherine Woodfine, illustrated by Briony May Smith
from Kane Miller
for 1st-3rd grade
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$2.80 (1 in stock)
Story of Abraham Lincoln
by Carla Jablonski, illustrated by Patrick Corrigan
from Rockridge Press
for 1st-4th grade
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Story of Harriet Beecher Stowe
Cornerstones of Freedom
by Maureen Ash
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th Grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Story of John F. Kennedy
A Spotlight Wonder Book
by Earl Schenck Miers
from Wonder Books
for 5th-Adult
in How and Why Wonder Books (Location: VIN-H&W)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Story of Mae Jemison
by Amy Drorbaugh, illustrated by Marta Koshulinska
from The Good and the Beautiful
for Preschool-2nd grade
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$3.60 (1 in stock)
Story of Maria Merian
by Ashlee Klemm, illustrated by Anna Speshilova
from The Good and the Beautiful
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
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Story of Marquette and Jolliet
by R. Conrad Stein
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Story of the Reconstruction
Cornerstones of Freedom series
by Brendan January
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Thomas Jefferson
by Cheryl Harness
from National Geographic
for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Top of the World
by Steve Jenkins
from Houghton Mifflin
for 4th-6th grade
2000 NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book
in 20th Century Exploration (Location: HISW-20EXP)
$6.95
Usborne Book of Explorers
by Anne Millard, Felicity Everett & Struan Reid
from Usborne
for 4th-6th grade
in Age of Exploration (1450-1700) (Location: HISA-16EXP)
$7.00 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Usborne Book of Explorers
by Anne Millard, Felicity Everett & Struan Reid
from Usborne
for 4th-6th grade
in Age of Exploration (1450-1700) (Location: HISA-16EXP)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Voice of the Paiutes
Creative Minds Biographies
by Jodie Shull, illustrated by Keith Birdsong
from Lerner Publishing Group
for 2nd-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Voice That Challenged a Nation
by Russell Freedman
from Clarion Books
for 5th-9th grade
2005 Newbery Honor Book, NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book, 2005 Robert F. Sibert Medal winner
in Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968) (Location: HISA-20CIV)
$10.19
War Boy
by Michael Foreman
from Farshore
for 3rd-6th grade
in World War II (1939-1945) (Location: HISA-20WW2)
$12.74
What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin?
by Jean Fritz
from PaperStar Books
for 4th-6th grade
in New Nation (1783-1801) (Location: HISA-18NN)
$6.99 $3.50 (4 in stock)
What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin?
by Jean Fritz
from PaperStar Books
for 2nd-6th grade
in New Nation (1783-1801) (Location: HISA-18NN)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Who Was Alexander the Great?
by Kathryn Waterfield and Robin Waterfield
from Penguin Random House
for 3rd-6th grade
in Who Was? biographies (Location: BIO-WHO)
$5.94
Who Was Galileo?
by Patricia Brennan Demuth, illustrated by John O'Brien
from Penguin Random House
for 3rd-6th grade
in Who Was? biographies (Location: BIO-WHO)
Who Was J. R. R. Tolkien?
by Pam Pollack and Meg Belviso, illustrated by Jonathan Moore
from Penguin Workshop
for 2nd-5th grade
in Who Was? biographies (Location: BIO-WHO)
$5.94
Who Was Julius Caesar?
by Nico Medina
from Penguin Random House
for 3rd-6th grade
in Who Was? biographies (Location: BIO-WHO)
$5.94 $2.80 (1 in stock)
Who Was Louis Braille?
Who Was?...Series
by Margaret Frith, illustrated by Robert Squier
from Grosset & Dunlap
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Who Was? biographies (Location: BIO-WHO)
Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.?
from Hampton-Brown
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Who Was P. T. Barnum?
by Kirsten Anderson, illustrated by Stephen Marchesi
from Penguin Random House
for 3rd-6th grade
in Who Was? biographies (Location: BIO-WHO)
Writing for Freedom
Creative Minds Biographies
by Erica Stux, illustrated by Mary O'Keefe Young
from Lerner Publishing Group
for 2nd-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Young Frederick Douglass
by Laurence Santrey
from Troll Publishing
for 4th-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.00 (1 in stock)