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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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82 Items found Print
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Active Filters: Historical Picture Books, 3rd grade (Ages 8-9), Trade Paperback
Abe Lincoln Goes to Washington
by Cheryl Harness
from National Geographic
Picture Book Biography for 2nd-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Abraham Lincoln
by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire
75th Anniversary Edition from Beautiful Feet Books
Picture Book Biography for 3rd-6th grade
1940 Caldecott Medal winner
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$17.95
Alexander Graham Bell
by Elizabeth MacLeod
from Kids Can Press
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Amazing Impossible Erie Canal
by Cheryl Harness
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Historical Non-Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
in Western Expansion (1800-1898) (Location: HISA-19WES)
$7.99
America's Paul Revere
by Esther Forbes
from Sandpiper Books
Biography for 2nd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$12.99
Benjamin Franklin
by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire
from Beautiful Feet Books
Picture Book Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$17.95
Buffalo Bill
by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire
from Beautiful Feet Books
Picture Book Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$17.95
By the Dawn's Early Light
by Steven Kroll
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-4th grade
in War of 1812 (Location: HISA-19WET)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Columbus
by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire
from Beautiful Feet Books
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$17.95
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)
Country Artist
by David R. Collins
from First Avenue Editions
Biography for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Daniel Boone
by Carol Greene
from Children's Press
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Davy Crockett, Young Pioneer
by Laurence Santrey
from Troll Associates
for 1st-5th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Discovery of the Americas
by Betsy & Giulio Maestro
from HarperTrophy
for 3rd-6th grade
in Age of Exploration (1450-1700) (Location: HISA-16EXP)
$9.99
Duke Ellington
by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Duke Ellington
by Andrea Davis Pinkney
1st edition from Hyperion/Madison Press
for 3rd-6th grade
1999 Caldecott Honor Book
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.99
Eric the Red & Leif the Lucky
by Barbara Schiller
from Avyx, Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$4.50 (3 in stock)
Exploration and Conquest TOS
The American Story Series
by Betsy & Giulio Maestro
from HarperCollins
for 3rd-7th grade
in Age of Exploration (1450-1700) (Location: HISA-16EXP)
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
Frontier Village
by Catherine E. Chambers
from Troll Communications
for 2nd-5th grade
in Pioneer & Frontier Life (Location: HISA-19PIO)
George vs. George
by Rosalyn Schanzer
Reprint from National Geographic
for 3rd-6th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$6.95
George Washington
by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire
from Beautiful Feet Books
Picture Book Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$17.95
George Washington
by Cheryl Harness
from National Geographic
for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$8.99
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)
$2.50 (3 in stock)
If You Grew Up With Abraham Lincoln
If You Were There
by Ann McGovern
from Scholastic Inc.
Historical Non-fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in Pioneer & Frontier Life (Location: HISA-19PIO)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
If You Lived at the Time of the Civil War
If You Were There
by Kay Moore
from Scholastic Inc.
Historical Non-fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in American Civil War (1860-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
If You Lived At The Time Of The Great San Francisco Earthquake
by Ellen Levine
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-4th grade
in Titanic & 20th Century Disasters (Location: HISW-20DIS)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
If You Sailed On the Mayflower in 1620
If You Were There
by Ann McGovern
from Scholastic Inc.
Non-Fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
If You Traveled On the Underground Railroad
If You Were There
by Ellen Levine & Larry Johnson
from Scholastic Inc.
Historical Non-fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in Slavery & the Underground Railroad (Location: HISA-19SL)
If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon
If You Were There
by Ellen Levine
from Scholastic Inc.
Historical Non-fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in Pioneer & Frontier Life (Location: HISA-19PIO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
If You Were at the First Thanksgiving
by Anne Kamma
First Edition from Scholastic Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
If You Were There When They Signed the Constitution
If You Were There
by Elizabeth Levy
from Scholastic Inc.
Non-Fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in New Nation (1783-1800) (Location: HISA-18NN)
$7.99 $5.00 (2 in stock)
If Your Name Was Changed at Ellis Island
If You Were There
by Ellen Levine & Wayne Parmenter
from Scholastic Inc.
Historical Non-Fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in Immigration & Emigration (Location: HISA-20IM)
$6.99 $4.00 (2 in stock)
In 1492
by Jean Marzollo
from Scholastic Inc.
Picture Book Biography for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Age of Exploration (1450-1700) (Location: HISA-16EXP)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Isaac Newton and the Laws of Motion
by Andrea Gianopoulos
1st edition from Capstone Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$7.95 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Jamestown
Adventures in Colonial America
by James Knight
from Beautiful Feet Books
Non-fiction for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Jamestown Colony (Location: HISA-17JA)
$6.95 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Johann Sebastian Bach
Getting to Know the World's Greatest Composers
by Mike Venezia
from Children's Press
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Music History (Location: ELE-MUSHIS)
Journey That Saved Curious George
by Louise W. Borden
from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 3rd-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$8.99
Journey That Saved Curious George
by Louise W. Borden, illustrated by Allan Drummond
from The PJ Library
for 3rd-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Journey to Monticello
Adventures in Colonial America
by James Knight
from Troll Publishing
Non-fiction for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in New Nation (1783-1800) (Location: HISA-18NN)
Journey to Monticello
Adventures in Colonial America
by James E. Knight
from Troll Communications
Non-fiction for 1st-4th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
Leonardo da Vinci
by Diane Stanley
from HarperCollins
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
1997 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$11.99
Lewis & Clark
by Steven Kroll
from Holiday House
Historical Non-Fiction for 1st-4th grade
in Lewis & Clark (Location: HISA-19L&C)
$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Listening to Crickets
by Candice F. Ransom
from Carolrhoda Books, Inc.
for 3rd-5th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.00 (4 in stock)
Little Ships
by Louise Borden
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 2nd-6th grade
in WWII: European Theater (Location: HISA-20WW2E)
$8.99
Lost City
by Ted Lewin
Reprint from Puffin Books
for 3rd-7th grade
in Latin & South America (Location: HISMC-LAT)
$8.99
Louis Braille
by Margaret Davidson
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$1.50 (1 in stock)
Ludwig van Beethoven
by Mike Venezia
from Children's Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Music History (Location: ELE-MUSHIS)
More Perfect Union
The American Story Series
by Betsy & Giulio Maestro
from HarperCollins
Historical Reference for 2nd-6th grade
in New Nation (1783-1800) (Location: HISA-18NN)
$11.99
Mysterious Journey
by Martha Wickham
from Soundprints
for 2nd-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Nettie's Trip South
by Ann Turner
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 2nd-5th grade
in American Civil War (1860-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
Nobody Gonna Turn Me 'Round
by Doreen Rappaport
Reprint from Candlewick Press
for 3rd-7th grade
in Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968) (Location: HISA-20CIV)
$6.50 (1 in stock)
Old Ironsides
by David L. Weitzman
from Sandpiper Books
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Ships, Boats & Submarines (Location: HISV-SHIP)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
On the Mayflower
by Kate Waters
from Scholastic Inc.
Non-fiction for 1st-3rd grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
One Giant Leap
by Don Brown
from Houghton Mifflin
Biography for 1st-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.95
Peter the Great
by Diane Stanley
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
Biography for Preschool-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Picture Book of Christopher Columbus
by David A. Adler
from Trumpet Club
Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Picture Book of Davy Crockett
by David Adler
from Holiday House
Picture Book Biography for 2nd-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$7.99
Picture Book of Lewis and Clark
by David A. Adler
from Holiday House
for 3rd-6th grade
in Lewis & Clark (Location: HISA-19L&C)
$4.50 (2 in stock)
Picture Book of Sacagawea
by David A. Adler, illustrated by Dan Brown
from Holiday House
for 1st-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$7.99
Picture History of Great Explorers
by Gillian Clements
from Frances Lincoln
for 3rd-4th grade
in Age of Exploration (1450-1700) (Location: HISA-16EXP)
Pilgrims of Plimoth
by Marcia Sewall
from Aladdin Paperbacks
History Reference/Picture Book for 1st-4th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$8.99
Pocahontas
by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire
from Beautiful Feet Books
Picture Book Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$17.95
Revolutionary John Adams
by Cheryl Harness
Reprint from National Geographic
for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$7.95
Sod Houses on the Great Plains
by Glen Rounds
from Holiday House
for 1st-4th grade
in Pioneer & Frontier Life (Location: HISA-19PIO)
Squanto's Journey
by Joseph Bruchac
Reprint from HMH Books for Young Readers
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Star-Spangled Banner
by Peter Spier
from Yearling
American History for 2nd-6th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$10.99
Steam, Smoke, and Steel
by Patrick O'Brien
from Charlesbridge
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Transcontinental Railroad (Location: HISA-19TRR)
Story of the Statue of Liberty
by Betsy & Giulio Maestro
from William Morrow & Company
Historical Non-Fiction for 2nd-4th grade
in Immigration & Emigration (Location: HISA-20IM)
$7.99
Story of the Statue of Liberty
by Betsy & Giulio Maestro
from William Morrow & Company
Historical Non-Fiction for 2nd-4th grade
in Immigration & Emigration (Location: HISA-20IM)
Tecumseh
by Jane Fleischer
from Troll Associates
for 2nd-5th grade
in Clearance: History & Geography (Location: ZCLE-HIS)
Ten Mile Day
by Mary Ann Fraser
from Henry Holt and Company
Historical Non-Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
in Transcontinental Railroad (Location: HISA-19TRR)
$10.99
Thanksgiving Story
by Alice Dalgliesh
from Simon and Schuster
Historical Fiction for 1st-3rd grade
1955 Caldecott Honor Book
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$8.99 $5.50 (2 in stock)
They're Off!
by Cheryl Harness
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Historical Non-Fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in Pony Express (1860-1861) (Location: HISA-19PEX)
$7.99
Thomas Jefferson
by Cheryl Harness
Reprint from National Geographic
for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$7.95 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Three Young Pilgrims
by Cheryl Harness
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Biography for 1st-4th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Traveling Man
by James Rumford
Reprint from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in Age of Exploration (1450-1700) (Location: HISA-16EXP)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Voice of Her Own
by Kathryn Lasky, Illustrated by Paul Lee
from Candlewick Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.99
We the People
by Peter Spier
from Doubleday & Company
for 2nd-6th grade
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
$10.99
Who in the World was the Forgotten Explorer?
by Lorene Lambert & Jed Mickle
from Well-Trained Mind Press
Picture Book Biography for 1st-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$9.50
Who's That Stepping on Plymouth Rock?
from PaperStar Books
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$6.99
Young Abe Lincoln
by Cheryl Harness
from National Geographic
Picture Book Biography for
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$7.95
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