Landmarks & Symbols of the United States

Building monuments to commemorate important events is actually a biblical concept. Whenever the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) were delivered from evil by, or simply met with, God, they often erected an altar in His name afterward. Monument-building is a way of making historical moments permanent, and ensuring future generations will remember what they ought to remember.

U.S. Americans have never balked at using religious language to describe their nation, or at borrowing Christian ideas and practices and constructing from them a civil religion. We have a lot of monuments, most of them homages to the birth of our country or American participation in foreign wars, and some of them have become synonymous with freedom and personal liberty.

Because some misuse or attribute to much importance to them isn't a reason to reject national monuments. They bring us together as citizens, and remind us of the virtues necessary to form and maintain a strong people. The Lincoln Memorial, for example, helps us remember those who died in the name of liberty; the Washington Monument speaks of nobility, strength, and unity of purpose.

Not all the American symbols are monuments; probably the most universal and easily-recognized is the American flag. While we need to be careful not to honor the flag or what it represents beyond what is proper, having a visual reminder of our diverse nation's ultimate unity and humble origins is not only helpful but necessary. We are people of vision, and therefore we need to have something to physically turn toward in the name of solidarity.

For Christians, of course, the ultimate symbol is the Cross of Christ. It's important to remember that the Cross and the American flag do not go hand-in-hand; the flag doesn't save anyone, but faith in Christ does. Trying to conflate the two, as though God has a special place in His heart for the U.S. or our country is somehow a united advocate of the Gospel is dangerous business.

However, those of us who live in the United States and are Christians do have a responsibility both to the Cross and the flag. As Jesus said, render to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's—we owe Christ everything including our very lives; we owe the state only our loyalty and support as citizens as long as the state is not forcing us to deny Christ or disobey His Law. As long as this hierarchy is maintained, we can celebrate American symbols without qualms of conscience.

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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Landmarks & Symbols of the United States
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54 Items found Print
Active Filters: 3rd grade (Ages 8-9)
About Our Flag
by Elinor Rees; illustrated by Jerome W. Bowen
from Melmont Publishers
for 2nd-4th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
Acadia National Park
Road Trip: National Parks
by Kathleen Connors
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
for 1st-3rd grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Bringing Back the Wolves
by Jude Isabella; illustrated by Kim Smith
from Kids Can Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Ecology (Location: SCI-ECO)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Brooklyn Bridge
by Lynn Curlee
from Atheneum
for 3rd-6th grade
in Architecture and Sculpture (Location: ELE-ARC)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Building the Capital City
by Marlene Targ Brill
from Children's Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Capital
1st edition from Atheneum
for 3rd-6th grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$9.00 (2 in stock)
Children of Mount Vernon
by Miriam Anne Bourne, illustrated by Gloria Kamen
from Doubleday & Company
for 2nd-5th grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Copper Lady
On My Own History
by Alice Ross, Kent Ross
from First Avenue Editions
for 2nd-5th grade
in Immigration & Emigration (Location: HISA-20IM)
Empire State Building
by Meish Goldish
from Bearport Publishing
for 2nd-4th grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
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
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Fort McHenry
Let's Celebrate America
by Joanne Mattern
from Red Chair Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Gateway Arch
Let's Celebrate America
by Joanne Mattern
from Red Chair Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Gonna Sing My Head Off
by Kathleen Krull
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Music Education & Reference (Location: ELE-MUSREF)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Gonna Sing My Head Off
by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Allen Garns
First Printing from Scholastic Reference
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Music Education & Reference (Location: ELE-MUSREF)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Grand Canyon
Let's Celebrate America
by Joanne Mattern
from Red Chair Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
by Santana Hunt
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
for 1st-3rd grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Historic American Landmarks - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by A. G. Smith
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in History of America Coloring Books (Location: COL-HISA)
$3.99
Historic Williamsburg
Let's Celebrate America
by Joanne Mattern
from Red Chair Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
History Songs with CD
Audio Memory CDs
by Larry Troxel
from Audio Memory
for 2nd-6th grade
in American History Reference (Location: HISA-REF)
$15.95
Incredible Grand Canyon
by Scott Thybony
from Grand Canyon Association
for 3rd-8th grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Lady Liberty: A Biography
by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Matt Tavares
from Candlewick Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$4.50 (2 in stock)
Lake Huron
Fact Finders
by Anne Ylvisaker
from Capstone Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Liberty Bell
Primary Sources of American Symbols
by Jennifer Silate
1st edition from PowerKids Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Lincoln Memorial
by Deborah Kent
from Children's Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Mount Rushmore
Let's Celebrate America
by Joanne Mattern
from Red Chair Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
National Parks
by Erin McHugh, illustrated by Neal Aspinall, Doug Leen, and Brian Maebius
from Black Dog & Leventhal
for 3rd-6th grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
National Parks of the USA
by Kate Siber, Illustrated by Chris Turnham
from Wide Eyed Editions
for 2nd-Adult
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$30.00
National Parks of the USA - Activity Book
by Claire Grace; inspired by the book by Kate Siber, illustrated by Chris Turnham
from Quarto Publishing
for 2nd-6th grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$10.99
New True Book of Bald Eagles
by Emilie U. Lepthien
from Children's Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Our National Monuments
by Eleanor Ayer
from Millbrook Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Pledge of Allegiance
by Scholastic, Scholastic Inc.
Cmv from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Pledge of Allegiance in Translation
by Elizabeth, Raum
from Capstone Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Puerto Rico
by Kathy Feeney
from Capstone Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Red, White, and Blue
An All Aboard Reading Reader Level 3
by John Herman
from Grosset & Dunlap
$4.99
Rushmore
by Lynn Curlee
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
Star-Spangled Banner in Translation
by Elizabeth, Raum
from Capstone Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$7.95
Statue of Liberty
by Jennifer Silate
from PowerKids Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Statue of Liberty
by L. E. Bond
3rd edition from Albion Publishing Group
for 3rd-6th grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Story of Mount Rushmore
by Marilyn Prolman & Phil Austin
from Children's Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Story of Mount Rushmore
by Marilyn Prolman
from Children's Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Story of the Capitol
by Marilyn Prolman & Bob O'Malley
from Children's Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Story of the White House
by Kate Waters
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
The Wall
by Eve Bunting
Reissue from HMH Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Vietnam War (1957-1975) (Location: HISA-20VIE)
Timeline of the White House
Timelines of American History
by Lisa Modifica
1st edition from Rosen Central
for 3rd-6th grade
in Clearance: History & Geography (Location: ZCLE-HIS)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Uncle Sam and Old Glory
by Delno C. West, Jean M. West
1st edition from Atheneum
for 3rd-6th grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Usborne Flags Sticker Book
Spotter's Guides Sticker Books
by Lisa Miles
from Usborne
for 3rd-7th grade
in International Landmarks & Symbols (Location: HISV-LANINT)
Very Washington DC
by Diana Hollingsworth Gessler
from Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
for 3rd-Adult
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park
by Emilie U. Lepthien
from Children's Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Wee Sing America - Book and CD
by Pamela Conn Beall and Susan Hagen Nipp
from Price Stern Sloan
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Wee Sing (Location: PRE-WEE)
$10.99 $7.00 (1 in stock)
Where is the Grand Canyon?
by Jim O'Connor, illustrated by Daniel Colon
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Where is the White House?
by Megan Stine, illustrated by David Groff
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 3rd-6th grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Why is the White House White?
by Peter & Connie Roop
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-4th grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$1.50 (1 in stock)
Wildlife Portfolio of the Western National Parks
by Joseph S. Dixon
from United States Government Printing Office
for 3rd-Adult
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$14.00 (1 in stock)
Wonders of the World - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by A. G. Smith
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Architecture Coloring Books (Location: COL-ARCH)
$3.99