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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ABC Book of Early Americana - Coloring Book
by Eric Sloane
2012 Dover from Dover Publications
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Alphabet Coloring Books (Location: COL-ALPH)
$10.95
America At War: Korean War
by John Perritano
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Korean War (1950-1953) (Location: HISA-20KW)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
America in the Time of Franklin Delano Roosevelt
by Sally Senzel Isaacs
from Heinemann-Raintree
for 2nd-5th grade
in World War II (1939-1945) (Location: HISA-20WW2)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
America in the Time of Lewis and Clark
by Sally Senzel Isaacs
from Heinemann-Raintree
for 2nd-5th grade
in 19th Century America (Location: HISA-19C)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Ancient Egyptians
History Opens Windows
by Jane Shuter
Revised and Updated from Heinemann-Raintree
for 1st-3rd grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Ancient Egyptians and their Neighbors
by Marian Broida
from Chicago Review Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Anne of Jamestown
by Anne Price-Hardister, illustrated by Ruby Gardner
from Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
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in Jamestown Colony (Location: HISA-17JA)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Bill of Rights
by R. Conrad Stein
for 3rd-6th grade
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Bill of Rights
by Lucia Raatma
from Scholastic Inc.
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in New Nation (1783-1800) (Location: HISA-18NN)
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Book of the Medieval Knight
by Stephen Turnbull
from Arms and Armour Press
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Calamity Jane
by Doris Faber
from Houghton Mifflin
for 1st-4th grade
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Central Pacific Railroad
Cornerstones of Freedom Second Series
by Clark J. Evans
from Children's Press
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in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Civil Rights Movement in America
Cornerstones of Freedom
by Elaine Landau
Reprint from Children's Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Continents: Antarctica
by Leila Merrell Foster
from Heinemann Library
for 1st-3rd grade
in Geography Reference (Location: GEO-REF)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Dear Benjamin Banneker
by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney
from Houghton Mifflin
for 2nd-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$7.99
Declaration of Independence
Documenting U.S. History
by Elizabeth Raum
from Heinemann-Raintree
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$4.50 (1 in stock)
Desert Storm
by John Perritano
from Q2A Media
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in 20th Century: 1976-1999 (Location: HISW-20C4)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Discovering Mars
by Melvin Berger, revised and updated by Mary Kay Carson
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
DK Smithsonian Space!
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
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$10.00 (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)
Dreaming of America
by Eve Bunting, Illustrated by Ben Stahl
from Scholastic Inc.
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
Early Settler Storybook
from Crabtree Publishing
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Electrical Wizard
by Elizabeth Rusch, illustrated by Oliver Dominguez
from Candlewick Press
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$3.50 (1 in stock)
Eyes on Adventure: Exploring Space
Eyes on Adventure
by Leigh Hope Wood
from KidsBooks, Inc.
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in Space Race & Exploration (Location: HISA-20SPR)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Full-Color Knights & Armour - Book and CD-Rom
Dover Electronic Clip Art
from Dover Publications
for 3rd-Adult
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
George Washington You Never Knew
by James Lincoln Collier
from Scholastic Inc.
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Great Chicago Fire
by R. Conrad Stein
Reprint from Scholastic Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
from kahoku Shimpo Publishing Co
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in Japan (Location: HISMC-JAP)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Great Explorers
by Jim Pipe
from Scholastic Inc.
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Happy Birthday, Dr. King!
by Kathryn Jones, Illustrated by Floyd Cooper
from Modern Curriculum Press
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Hero Over Here
by Kathleen V. Kudlinski
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Hieroglyphs
by Joyce Milton, illustrated by Charles Micucci
from Grosset & Dunlap
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in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
How and Why Wonder Book of the Civil War
by Earl Schenck Miers
from Grosset & Dunlap
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in How and Why Wonder Books (Location: VIN-H&W)
How People Learned to Fly
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 2
by Fran Hodgkins, illustrated by True Kelley
from HarperCollins
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Jedediah Smith
by Sharlene and Ted Nelson
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Jesse Owens: Gold Medal Hero
Sterling Biographies
by Jim Gigliotti
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Joan of Arc: Heavenly Warrior
Sterling Biographies
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Johnny Appleseed
A Step into Reading Book Level 3
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Kingfisher Atlas of the Medieval World
by Simon Adams
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Knights & Castles
by Avery Hart, Paul Mantell
from Williamson Publishing Company
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Lady Liberty: A Biography
by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Matt Tavares
from Candlewick Press
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Last River
by Stuart Waldman, illustrated by Gregory Manchess
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$15.99
Learn About Pyramids
by Peter Mellett
from Hermes House
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Learn About Pyramids
by Peter Mellett
from My Father's World
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Life in Ancient Rome
by Joseph Farrell
from Running Press
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in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Louis Armstrong and the Jazz Age
Cornerstones of Freedom
by Dan Elish
Reprint from Children's Press
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in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Marco Polo
by Struan Reid
from Heinemann Library
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$5.00 (1 in stock)
Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Ancient Egypt
by Joanna Cole, Bruce Degen (Illustrator)
from Scholastic Inc.
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Mummies & Pyramids
Usborne Internet-Linked
by Sam Taplin
from Usborne
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in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$4.05 (1 in stock)
Musical Memories of Laura Ingalls Wilder - with CD
Experience History Through Music
by Diana Waring
from Diana Waring Presents
for 1st-6th grade
in Diana Waring History Revealed (Location: OHIS-DWHR)
Mystery of the Maya
by Peter Lourie
from Boyds Mill Press
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in Ancient America (Location: HISW-ANAM)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
N.C. Wyeth's Pilgrims
by Robert San Souci, illustrated by N.C. Wyeth
from Chronicle Books
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
N.C. Wyeth's Pilgrims
by Robert D. San Souci
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Nathan Hale
Hidden History: Spies
by Aaron Derr, Illustrated by Tami Wicinas
from Red Chair Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$5.00 (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
Prairie Primer
by Margie Gray
2nd edition from Cadron Creek Christian Curriculum
for 3rd-6th grade
in Cadron Creek Literature Guides (Location: LITCUR-CAD)
Prairie Schooners
by Glen Rounds
from Holiday House
for 3rd-6th grade
in Oregon Trail (Location: HISA-19OR)
Primary Source History of the American Revolution
Fact Finders
by Sarah Powers Webb
from Capstone Press
for 3rd-5th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Robert Fulton
by Marguerite Henry; illustrated by Robert Patterson
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
for 3rd-5th grade
in Childhood of Famous Americans (Location: BIO-COFA)
$5.00 (4 in stock)
Roman Life
by John Guy
from Scholastic Inc.
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in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$2.00 (1 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)
$8.99
Secrets in Stone
by Laurie Coulter, illustrated by Sarah Jane English
from Hyperion/Madison Press
for 3rd-8th grade
in Ancient America (Location: HISW-ANAM)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
September 11, 2001
Cornerstones of Freedom Second Series
by Andrew Santella
from Children's Press
for 3rd-5th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Smokestacks and Spinning Jennys
American History Through Primary Sources
by Sean Price
from Capstone Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Industrialization & Organized Labor (Location: HISA-19IND)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Smokestacks and Spinning Jennys
American History Through Primary Sources
by Sean Price
from Heinemann-Raintree
for 2nd-5th grade
in Industrialization & Organized Labor (Location: HISA-19IND)
Step Into Ancient Japan
by Fiona Macdonald
from Hermes House
for 3rd-7th grade
in Japan (Location: HISMC-JAP)
Step Into Mesopotamia
by Lorna Oakes
from Hermes House
for 3rd-7th grade
in Ancient Mesopotamia & Persia (Location: HISW-ANME)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Step Into the Aztec & Maya Worlds
by Fiona Macdonald
from Hermes House
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in Ancient America (Location: HISW-ANAM)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Step Into the Inca World
by Philip Steele
from Hermes House
for 3rd-7th grade
in Ancient America (Location: HISW-ANAM)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Story of King Arthur
by Retold by Robin Lister, Illustrated by Alan Baker
from Kingfisher
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 3rd-6th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
Story of the Greeks
by Helene Guerber
4th edition from Nothing New Press
Ancient Greece Reference for 3rd-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
Story of the Mayflower Compact
from Children's Press
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Story of the Middle Ages
by Christine Miller & Helene Guerber
from Nothing New Press
for 3rd-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
Story of the Renaissance and Reformation
by Christine Miller & Helene Guerber
2nd edition from Nothing New Press
History Reference for 3rd-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Renaissance & Reformation (Location: HISW-REN)
Story of the Romans
by Helene Guerber
3rd edition from Nothing New Press
Roman History Reference for 3rd-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
Story of the Romans
by Helene Guerber
2nd edition from Nothing New Press
Roman History Reference for 3rd-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
Story of the Spirit of St. Louis
Cornerstones of Freedom
by R. Conrad Stein
from Children's Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
$2.50 (2 in stock)
Story of the Thirteen Colonies
by Helene Guerber
from Nothing New Press
History Reference for 3rd-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
True Book: Antarctica
A True Book: Geography
by Mel Friedman
from Children's Press
for 3rd-5th grade
in Geography Reference (Location: GEO-REF)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
True Book: The Constitution of the United States
by Patricia Ryon Quiri
from Children's Press
for 3rd-5th grade
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
$3.50 (2 in stock)
Victorian Pets - Paper Dolls in Full Colors
by Evelyn Gathings
from Dover Publications
for 3rd-6th grade
in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
Vietnam War
20th Century Perspectives
by Douglas Willoughby
from Heinemann
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vietnam War (1957-1975) (Location: HISA-20VIE)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
War in Iraq
from Franklin Watts
for 3rd-5th grade
in War on Terror (Location: HISA-21WT)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Westward Ho! - with CD
Experience History Through Music
by Diana Waring
from Diana Waring Presents
for 1st-6th grade
in Diana Waring History Revealed (Location: OHIS-DWHR)
What Was the Holocaust?
What Was?
by Gail Herman
1st edition from Grosset & Dunlap
for 3rd-7th grade
in Holocaust (Location: HISW-20WW2H)
What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin?
by Jean Fritz
from PaperStar Books
for 2nd-6th grade
in New Nation (1783-1800) (Location: HISA-18NN)
$3.50 (2 in stock)
When Washington Crossed the Delaware
by Lynne Cheney
from Simon & Schuster Macmillan
for Preschool-3rd grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$4.50 (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)
$5.99
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 Julius Caesar?
by Nico Medina
from Penguin Random House
for 3rd-6th grade
in Who Was? biographies (Location: BIO-WHO)
$5.99
World of the Pharaoh
by Anne Millard, Illustrated by L. R. Galante
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
You Are There! London 1666
by Dona Herweck Rice
from Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Natural Disasters: Fires and Floods (Location: SCI-EARFI)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
You Wouldn't Want To Be a Roman Gladiator!
You Wouldn't Want To...
by John Malam, David Antram (Illustrator)
from Franklin Watts
for 3rd-6th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
You Wouldn't Want to Be an American Colonist!
by Written by Peter Cook, Peter Hicks, Fiona Macdonald, and Jacqueline Morley, and Illustrated by David Antram
from Scholastic Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
You Wouldn't Want to Explore with Marco Polo!
by Jacqueline Morley, illustrated by David Antram
from Franklin Watts
for 3rd-6th grade
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)