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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238 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
in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH)
$16.99
A Weed Is a Flower
by Aliki
Reprint from Aladdin Paperbacks
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$6.79
ABC Book of Early Americana
by Eric Sloane
2012 Dover from Dover Publications
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$10.95
Abe's Honest Words
by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
from Disney-Hyperion
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$3.60 (1 in stock)
Abraham Lincoln
A Rookie Biography
by Carol Greene
from Children's Press
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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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$5.09
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by Marianne Hering, Nancy I. Sanders
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by Marianne Hering, Nancy I. Sanders
from Focus on the Family
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$6.79
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by Marianne Hering, Nancy I. Sanders
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by Marianne Hering
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$5.09
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by Marianne Hering & Sheila Seifert
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by Marianne Hering & Sheila Seifert
from Focus on the Family
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in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$6.79
Alexi's Secret Mission
by Anita Deyneka
from School of Tomorrow
for 1st-4th grade
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
Amazing Pop-Up Pull-Out Space Shuttle
by David Hawcock
from DK Publishing
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$15.00 (1 in stock)
America in the Time of Abraham Lincoln
by Sally Senzell Isaacs
from Heinemann Library
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
American History for Young Students I
by Michelle Miller
from TruthQuest History
History Curriculum for 1st-5th grade
in TruthQuest History (Location: HISCUR-TQ)
$17.50 (1 in stock)
American History for Young Students II
by Michelle Miller
from TruthQuest History
History Curriculum for 1st-5th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in TruthQuest History (Location: HISCUR-TQ)
$17.50 (1 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
Animals Robert Scott Saw
by Sandra Markle
from Chronicle Books
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Apples to Oregon
by Deborah Hopkinson
Reprint from Aladdin Paperbacks
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$7.64
Aquila's Drinking Gourd
by Pamela Dell
from Tradition Books
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$3.20 (1 in stock)
Astronauts on the Moon - Hallmark Pop-Up Book
by Al Muenchen and Stanley Hendricks
from Hallmark Publications
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$12.80 (1 in stock)
Bad River Boys
by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, illustrated by Bill Farnsworth
from Holiday House
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$4.00 (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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$10.16
Beethoven's Heroic Symphony
Once Upon a Masterpiece
by Anna Harwell Celenza, illustrated by JoAnn E. Kitchel
from Charlesbridge
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in Music History (Location: ELE-MUSHIS)
$14.41
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
from Wonder Books
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$5.60 (1 in stock)
Boxes for Katje
by Candace Fleming
1st edition from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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$19.99
Boy Who Loved Math
by Deborah Heiligman, illustrated by LeUyen Pham
from Roaring Brook Press
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$4.80 (1 in stock)
Bravest Dog Ever
Step Into Reading Level 3
by Natalie Standiford
from Random House
Animal Stories for 1st-3rd grade
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$5.09
Buttons for General Washington
by Peter & Connie Roop
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
By the Dawn's Early Light
by Steven Kroll
from Scholastic Inc.
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Cassie's Journey
by Brett Harvey; illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray
from Holiday House
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Chang's Paper Pony
An I Can Read Book Level 3
by Eleanor Coerr
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$4.24
Child's Day
Historic Communities
by Bobbie Kalman & Tammy Everts
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$5.00 (1 in stock)
Choosing Brave
by Angela Joy, illustrated by Janelle Washington
from Roaring Brook Press
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2023 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book
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$16.99
Christopher Columbus
by Elaine Murray Stone
500 Anv from Tyndale House
Biography for Preschool-3rd Grade
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$5.20 (1 in stock)
Civil War Artist
by Taylor Morrison
from HMH Books for Young Readers
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
Clara Barton: Amazing Civil War Nurse
Amazing Americans
by Mary Dodson Wade
from Enslow
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Classical Acts and Facts History Cards: Modern World
from Classical Conversations
for Kindergarten-8th grade
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$28.20 $17.50 (3 in stock)
Classical Acts and Facts History Cards: New World
from Classical Conversations
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$28.20 $17.50 (1 in stock)
Coast Mappers
by Taylor Morrison
from Walter Lorraine Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
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$7.00 (1 in stock)
Colonial America
by Donald M. Silver, Patricia J. Wynne
from Scholastic Inc.
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in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Colonial America Cooperative Learning Activities
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-4th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Colonial Town: Williamsburg
by Bobbie Kalman
Revised from Crabtree Publishing
for 1st-8th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Columbus
by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire
First BCE from Doubleday & Company
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$28.00 (1 in stock)
Coming to America
by Betsy Maestro
from Scholastic Inc.
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Cora Frear
by Susan E. Goodman
from Aladdin Paperbacks
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$2.80 (2 in stock)
Cornstalks and Cannonballs
by Barbara Mitchell
from Carolrhoda Books, Inc.
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$4.00 (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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$5.09 $2.80 (1 in stock)
Cowboy Charlie
by Jeanette Winter
from Purple House Press
for Kindergarten-4th grade
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$16.11
Cowboys
by Douglas Gorsline
from Random House
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Crossing Bok Chitto
by Tim Tingle
from Cinco Puntos Pres
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$11.01
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)
Draw Write Now Book 3
by Marie Hablitzel & Kim Stitzer
from In the Think of Things
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Draw Write Now (Location: ELE-ARTDWN)
$19.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Dust for Dinner
by Ann Turner
from HarperCollins
for 1st-2nd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$4.24
Early American History for Primary Grades - Guide
by Rea Berg
3rd edition from Beautiful Feet Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
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$29.95 $20.00 (1 in stock)
Early Settler Storybook
from Crabtree Publishing
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Emperor's Egg
by Martin Jenkins, illustrated by Jane Chapman
from Candlewick Press
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$7.64 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Emperor's Egg
by Martin Jenkins, illustrated by Jane Chapman
from Candlewick Press
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Encounter
by Jane Yolen
1st edition from Voyager Paperbacks
for 1st-6th grade
in Age of Exploration (1450-1700) (Location: HISA-16EXP)
$8.49
Enemies of Slavery
from Holiday House
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
F is for Freedom
by Roni Schotter
from Scholastic Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$1.20 (2 in stock)
Famous Figures of the American Revolution
from Figures in Motion
for Kindergarten-6th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$12.00 (3 in stock)
Famous Figures of the Civil War
from Figures in Motion
for Kindergarten-6th grade
in American Civil War Era (1850-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$18.95
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)
$21.95
Finding Winnie
by Lindsay Mattick
First Edition from Little, Brown & Company
for Nursery-2nd grade
2016 Caldecott Winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99
First Step
by Susan E. Goodman, illustrated by E. B. Lewis
from Bloomsbury Publishing
for Preschool-3rd grade
in American Civil War Era (1850-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
First Thanksgiving
by Jean Craighead George
from Philomel Books
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
First Thanksgiving
by Jean Craighead George
from Putnam Juvenile
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$7.99
First Thanksgiving Feast
by Joan Anderson
from HMH Books for Young Readers
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Flag for Our Country
by Eve Spencer
from Steck-Vaughn Company
Non-Fiction for 1st-3rd grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$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)
Food and Recipes of Westward Expansion
Cooking Throughout American History
by George Erdosh
1st edition from PowerKids Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Western Expansion (1800-1898) (Location: HISA-19WES)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Francisco Pizarro
Discover the Life of an Explorer
by Trish Kline
from Rourke Publishing
for 1st-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.40 (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
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$6.99 $4.50 (2 in stock)
George Washington's Breakfast
by Jean Fritz
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-4th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
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)
$7.64 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Going West!
Kalideoscope Kids Book
by Carol A. Johmann, Elizabeth J. Rieth
from Williamson Publishing Company
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Pioneer & Frontier Life (Location: HISA-19PIO)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Golden Book of Space Exploration
by Dinah L. Moche
from Golden Books
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Space Race & Exploration (Location: HISA-20SPR)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
from kahoku Shimpo Publishing Co
for 1st-Adult
in Japan (Location: HISMC-JAP)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Hanna's Cold Winter
by Trish Marx & Barbara Knutson
from Purple House Press
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$10.16
Happy Birthday, Dr. King!
by Kathryn Jones, Illustrated by Floyd Cooper
from Modern Curriculum Press
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$1.60 (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
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.00 (3 in stock)
Harriet Tubman: Freedom Fighter
I Can Read! Level 2
by Nadia L. Hohn, illustrated by Gustavo Mazali
from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Hatmaker's Sign: A Story by Benjamin Franklin
by Candace Fleming (reteller), illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker
from Orchard Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Henry's Freedom Box
by Ellen Levine
from Scholastic Press
for Nursery-1st grade
2008 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.14
History Pockets: Life in Plymouth Colony
by Jill Norris & Sandi Johnson
from Evan-Moor Educational Publishers
for 1st-3rd grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$10.00 (2 in stock)
Home in the Woods
by Eliza Wheeler
from Nancy Paulsen Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.14
Hot Air
by Marjorie Priceman
from Atheneum
for Preschool-3rd grade
2006 Caldecott Honor Book
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
How Sweet the Sound
by Carole Boston Weatherford, Illustrated by Frank Morrison
from Atheneum
for 1st-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$15.29
How They Built the Statue of Liberty
by Mary J. Shapiro, illustrated by Huck Scarry
from Random House
for 1st-4th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
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