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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13 Colonies: Georgia
by Roberta Wiener and James R. Arnold
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Across America
by Jacqueline Morley
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Alamo!
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America At War: Korean War
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Ancient Egyptians and their Neighbors
by Marian Broida
from Chicago Review Press
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Ancient Israelites and Their Neighbors
by Marian Broida
from Chicago Review Press
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Anne of Jamestown
by Anne Price-Hardister, illustrated by Ruby Gardner
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Aztec and Maya Myths
by Karl Taube
from British Museum Press
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Battle of the Little Bighorn
by R. Conrad Stein
from Children's Press
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Big Book of the Civil War
by Joanne Mattern
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Bill of Rights
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Bill of Rights
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Book of the Medieval Knight
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Boys' War
by Jim Murphy
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Building the New York Subway
Cornerstones of Freedom Second Series
by Andrew Santella
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Can't You Make Them Behave, King George?
by Jean Fritz
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Chuck Yeager Breaks the Sound Barrier
by R. Conrad Stein
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Classical Kids
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$10.00 (1 in stock)
Colter's Run
by Judith Edwards, illustrated by John Potter
from Falcon Press Publishing
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
Cut & Assemble the Mayflower
by A. G. Smith
2020 Reprint from Dover Publications
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Day Pearl Harbor was Bombed
by George Sullivan
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Declaration of Independence
History Speaks
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Desert Storm
by John Perritano
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Discovery of the Titanic
by Robert Ballard
from Warner/Madison Press
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DK Eyewitness: Ancient Greece
DK Eyewitness Series
by Anne Pearson
from DK Publishing
Greek History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
$9.99
DK Smithsonian Space!
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Draw the Titanic
by Andrew Staiano, illustrated by Jason Pederson
from Scholastic Inc.
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Dreaming of America
by Eve Bunting, Illustrated by Ben Stahl
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Drums
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Early American History for Intermediate Grades - Guide
by Rea Berg & Rebecca Manor
3rd edition from Beautiful Feet Books
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Early Civilization
Usborne Illustrated World History
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Ancient History Reference for 4th-6th grade
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Egyptian Echo
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Electrical Wizard
by Elizabeth Rusch, illustrated by Oliver Dominguez
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Ellis Island
Cornerstones of Freedom
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from Scholastic Inc.
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Explore Medieval Kingdoms
by Terry Johnson
Revised from Master Books
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Eyes on Adventure
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Flags to Color from the American Revolution
by Whitney Smith
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Frank Lloyd Wright for Kids
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2nd edition from Chicago Review Press
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General Washington's Army
by Marko Zlatich, Illustrated by Peter F. Copeland
2003 Printing from Osprey Publishing
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George Washington You Never Knew
by James Lincoln Collier
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Gettysburg Address
History Speaks
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Great Chicago Fire
by R. Conrad Stein
Reprint from Scholastic Press
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Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
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Great Explorers
by Jim Pipe
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Greek Armies
by Peter Connolly
from Silver Burdett Press
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Hear that Train Whistle Blow!
by Milton Meltzer
from Random House
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in Transcontinental Railroad (Location: HISA-19TRR)
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)
Imitation in Writing: Greek Heroes
Imitation in Writing Series
by Matt Whitling
2nd edition from Logos School
Writing Curriculum for 4th-9th grade
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$15.00
Incans, Aztecs, Mayans
by John Holzmann
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$4.50 (5 in stock)
Jackie Robinson Breaks the Color Line
Cornerstones of Freedom series
by Andrew Santella
from Scholastic Inc.
Non-fiction for 4th-6th grade
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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
from Sterling Publishing Co.
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Joan of Arc: Heavenly Warrior
Sterling Biographies
by Tabatha Yeatts
from Sterling Publishing Co.
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Kinderlager
by Milton J. Nieuwsma
from Scholastic Inc.
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Kingfisher Atlas of the Medieval World
by Simon Adams
from Kingfisher
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Knights & Castles
by Avery Hart, Paul Mantell
from Williamson Publishing Company
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Last River
by Stuart Waldman, illustrated by Gregory Manchess
from Mikaya Press
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$15.99
Leonardo da Vinci
by Emily Hahn
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
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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)
Magellan and the Exploration of South America
by Colin Hynson
from Barron's
Non-fiction for 4th-8th grade
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$4.00 (2 in stock)
Marco Polo
by Struan Reid
from Heinemann Library
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Mayflower II
from Plimoth Plantation Publication
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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)
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
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Preamble to the U.S. Constitution
History Speaks
by Douglas M. Rife
from Teaching & Learning Company
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in New Nation (1783-1800) (Location: HISA-18NN)
$1.50 (1 in stock)
Remember the Alamo
from National Geographic
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Roman Army
by Peter Connolly
from Silver Burdett Press
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in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Roman Life
by John Guy
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Roman News
by Andrew Langley, Philip De Souza
from Candlewick Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$7.99
Roman Provence
by Marc Guitteny, photos by Marc and Denis Guitteny, translated by Lorenzo Prieto
English Edition from Unknown Publisher
for 5th-Adult
in France (Location: HISMC-FRA)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Romans
Usborne Internet-Linked
from Usborne
Roman History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$8.10 (1 in stock)
Seaman's Journal
by Patricia Reeder Eubank
from Ideals Children's Books
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
in Lewis & Clark (Location: HISA-19L&C)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
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)
Sourcebook on Colonial America: Battles in a New Land
by Carter Smith (editor)
from Millbrook Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Sourcebook on Colonial America: Governing and Teaching
by Carter Smith (editor)
from Millbrook Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Sourcebook on Colonial America: The Arts and Sciences
by Carter Smith (editor)
from Millbrook Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
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
for 3rd-7th grade
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 Fort Sumter
by Eugenia Burney
from Children's Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
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)
$4.00 (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 Marquette and Jolliet
by R. Conrad Stein
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Story of the Alamo
by Norman Richards
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th Grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Story of the Battle of Bull Run
by Zachary Kent
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Story of the Battle of Midway
Cornerstones of Freedom series
by Tom McGowen
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Story of the California Gold Rush
Cornerstones of Freedom series
by R. Conrad Stein
from Scholastic Inc.
Historical Non-Fiction for 4th-6th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Story of the Constitution
Cornerstones of Freedom series
by Marilyn Prolman
from Scholastic Inc.
American History Reference for 4th-6th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Story of the Constitution
Cornerstones of Freedom
by Marilyn Prolman
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Story of the Declaration of Independence
Cornerstones of Freedom series
by R. Conrad Stein
from Scholastic Inc.
American History Reference for 4th-6th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
$5.95
Story of the Election of Abraham Lincoln
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Story of the Erie Canal
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
for 4th-6th Grade
in Western Expansion (1800-1898) (Location: HISA-19WES)
$2.00 (2 in stock)
Story of the Gettysburg Address
Cornerstones of Freedom
by Kenneth Richards
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th Grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Story of the Great Republic
by Helene Guerber
from Nothing New Press
History Reference for 4th-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in U.S. History Curriculum (Location: HISCUR-US)
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)
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