Regional History

Once upon a time, schoolchildren could be expected to know the name of the mountains separating France from Spain, the location of the Nile River, the capitals of all fifty states, and what and where the Pampas could be found. Now, even adults have a hard time naming the most populous city in the U.S. or the countries of Asia. These are, indeed, sad times, and doomed to become sadder if this geographic ignorance is not turned to knowledge.

Without a firm grasp on geography, how can we expect to know anything about history? History is rooted in a sense of place. Why did the Union troops lose the Battle of Cold Harbor? Because they were attacking Confederate fortifications uphill. And if you don't know anything about the Alps, the fact that Hannibal's army crossed them with elephants won't surprise you near as much as it should. Understanding the physical terrain and the demographics of an area are essential to understanding the history of that region.

Which is why studying history by place is such a good idea. There are cultural considerations, of course, and these can be immensely helpful guides in their own right, but simply looking at the lay of the land so to speak will provide a sense of context more abstract boundaries never can. African history, for instance, makes so much more sense if you know what the continent is like.

Even cultures are influenced by geography. Take the United States: some of the most important advances in transportation technology happened within her borders largely due to necessity. The steam engine train was perfected here, automobiles and airplanes were invented here, and in the last few decades we've led the world in space exploration.

It's not that no one traveled before the 19th and 20th century, or outside the North American continent—it's just that because the new nation was so vast, and there were so many natural barriers (the Mississippi River, the Grand Tetons and Great Smokey Mountains, the Mojave Desert), new forms of getting from here to there were not only a good idea, they were a necessity.

There probably isn't one instance in the history of the world in which geography and events weren't directly tied. Certainly this is true for military history, and exploration, and agriculture, but it's also true of ideas and ideologies. Part of the reason slavery was such an important part of Southern culture in the U.S. was that cotton was an immensely growable crop and only armies of slaves could be counted on to get all the work done; in order to justify the use of forced labor, however, a philosophical ethos was developed.

Other instances may be more obscure, but no less true. In France, the mild climate and fertile country led to a series of approaches to thought that emphasized experience and the pursuit of pleasure for its own sake (particularly existentialism); in ancient Greece, the geographical isolation enforced by mountains and seas allowed democratic polity to emerge among the city states.

Geography and history are pretty much Siamese twins, and academic technology has not advanced to the point where they can be separated without risk of life to both. We've organized the subcategories in this section along pretty standard lines (continents, countries, and the like), but standards arise because they work. Explore a region you're unfamiliar with; you're likely to uncover quite a few surprises.

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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1846 - Portrait of the Nation
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50 States Flipper
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Abraham Lincoln in Peace and War
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Abraham Lincoln's World
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Across Five Aprils
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Adam and His Kin
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Adventures of Davy Crockett
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Puffin Classics
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Aeneid
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Africa's Vanishing Wildlife
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After the Dancing Days
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Age of Fighting Sail
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Air Forces of the World
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Al Capone Does My Shirts
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All He Knew
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America and Its People
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America and Vietnam
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America Is Born
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1960 Newbery Honor Book
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America's Fascinating Indian Heritage
by James A. Maxwell
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American Barns and Covered Bridges
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American Covenant
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American Heritage History of the American Revolution
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American Heritage History of the Indian Wars
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American History to 1865 - CD Set
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American Waterways: Canal Days
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American Yesterday
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Amistad Slave Revolt and American Abolition
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Anchor Book of Chinese Poetry
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Andersonville
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Anna and the King of Siam
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Anne Frank: Beyond the Diary
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Anne Frank: Beyond the Diary
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Anne of Green Gables
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by L. M. Montgomery
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Anno's Journey
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Anno's Journey
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1978 Newbery Honor Book
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Ark, The
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2021 Revision from Purple House Press
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Arthur Erskine's Story
Reformation Trail Series #14
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Atlas of the Islamic World
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Atlas of the North American Indian
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Augustus Caesar's World
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Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
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Australia: Beyond the Black Stump
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Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
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Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini
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Aztec and Maya Myths
by Karl Taube
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B. Franklin, Printer
by David A. Adler
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Balloon Boy of San Francisco
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Basic History of the United States - Complete Set with Teacher's Guide
by Clarence B. Carson
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Battle from the Start
by Brian Steel Wills
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Battle of Gettysburg
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Beggar's King
by Howard C. Emmons
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Beginning of the Republic
A Basic History of the United States Volume 2
by Clarence B. Carson
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Behind the Blue and Gray
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Behold Your Queen
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Ben-Hur
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Benjamin Franklin: The Autobiography and Other Writings
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by Benjamin Franklin
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Berliners
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Betty Before X
by Ilyasah Shabazz with Renee Watson
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Between the Forest and the Hills
Bethlehem Books Adventure Library
by Ann Lawrence
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Humorous Fantasy for 7th-10th grade
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Beyond the Desert Gate
Bethlehem Books Young Adult Bookshelf
by Mary Ray
2nd edition from Bethlehem Books
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Beyond the Sacred Page
Book of Books #2
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Birds of the Puget Sound Region
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Black Man in America
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Black Symbol
by Annabel & Edgar Johnson
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Blackbird Girls
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Bletchley Riddle
by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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Blood Brothers
by Elias Chacour with David Hazard
2022 Printing from Baker Books
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Blow Ye Winds Westerly
by Elizabeth Gemming
1st edition from Thomas Y. Crowell & Co.
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Bluestocking Guide - Ancient Rome
by Jane Williams
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$12.95
Bluestocking Guide - World War I
by Jane Williams
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Bluestocking Guide - World War II
by Jane Williams
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Bomb
by Steve Sheinkin
First Edition from Flash Point
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2013 Newbery Honor Book, 2013 Robert F. Sibert Medal winner
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Bomb
by Steve Sheinkin
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2013 Newbery Honor Book
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Bomb
by Steve Sheinkin
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2013 Newbery Honor Book
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Bonanza Girl
by Patricia Beatty
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Bonhoeffer: The Cost of Freedom - Audio Drama (CD)
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Bonnie Prince Charlie
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Book of Discovery
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Book Thief
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Borrowed House
Bethlehem Books Young Adult Bookshelf
by Hilda Van Stockum
from Purple House Press
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Borrowed House
Bethlehem Books Young Adult Bookshelf
by Hilda Van Stockum
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Boston
from Crescent Books
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Boy in the Alamo
by Margaret Cousins
from Veritas Press
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Boys in the Boat adapted for Young Readers
by Daniel James Brown, adapted by Gregory Mone
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