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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72 Items found Print
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18 Penny Goose
An I Can Read Book Level 3
by Sally M. Walker
from HarperCollins
Realistic fiction for 2nd-4th grade
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Amazing Mind of Granville Woods
by Maggie Felsch; illustrated by Kessler Garrity
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American Family of the Colonial Era - Paper Dolls
by Tom Tierney
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American Made: The Colonial Child of 1740
by Marcia Fann
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American Pioneer Family - Paper Dolls
by Tom Tierney
from Dover Publications
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And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?
by Jean Fritz & Margot Tomes
from PaperStar Books
Biography for 2nd-4th grade
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And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?
by Jean Fritz & Margot Tomes
from Scholastic Inc.
Biography for 2nd-4th grade
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Ben and Me
by Robert Lawson
from Little, Brown & Company
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Boy of the Three-Year Nap
by Dianne Snyder
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Word Books for Preschool-2nd grade
1989 Caldecott Honor Book
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Bravest Dog Ever
Step Into Reading Level 3
by Natalie Standiford
from Random House
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Caleb's Story
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from HarperCollins
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Canada Geese Quilt
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Canada Geese Quilt
by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock
from Cobblehill Books
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Chang's Paper Pony
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by Eleanor Coerr
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Civil War Paper Soldiers in Full Color
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Colonial Fashions - Paper Dolls
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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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Drinking Gourd
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by F. N. Monjo
from HarperCollins
Historical Fiction for 2nd-4th grade
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Fireflies in the Dark
by Susan Goldman Rubin
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Five Chinese Brothers
by Claire Huchet Bishop & Kurt Wiese
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George the Drummer Boy
An I Can Read Book Level 3
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George Washington's Breakfast
by Jean Fritz
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Going West
by Jean Van Leeuwen
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Gonna Sing My Head Off
by Kathleen Krull
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in Music Education & Reference (Location: ELE-MUSREF)
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Grain of Rice
by Helena Clare Pittman
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Guide to Australia
by Michael March
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Harry Houdini: Master of Magic
by Robert Kraske
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Hill of Fire
An I Can Read Book Level 3
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House on Walenska Street
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Hundred Penny Box
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Realistic Fiction for 1st-3rd grade
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Hundred Penny Box
by Sharon Bell Mathis
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Realistic Fiction for 1st-3rd grade
1976 Newbery Honor Book
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In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson
by Bette Bao Lord
from HarperCollins
Immigration for 2nd-6th grade
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Johnny Appleseed
by Reeve Lindbergh
from Little, Brown & Company
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Josefina Story Quilt
An I Can Read Book Level 3
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Les Miserables (adapted)
Stepping Stones: A Chapter Book
by Victor Hugo, Adapted by Monica Kulling
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Lion to Guard Us
by Clyde Robert Bulla
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Long Way to a New Land
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Long Way Westward
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Matchlock Gun
by Walter Edmonds
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Historical Fiction for 2nd-4th grade
1942 Newbery Medal winner
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Meet Abraham Lincoln
Second Series Landmark / Step Up reprints
by Barbara Cary
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Biography for 1st-4th grade
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Molly's Pilgrim
A Bantam First Skylark
by Barbara Cohen, illustrated by Daniel Mark Duffy
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Mr. Revere and I
by Robert Lawson
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Mr. Revere and I
by Robert Lawson
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One Morning in Maine
by Robert McCloskey
from Puffin Books
Realistic Family Stories for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1953 Caldecott Honor Book
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$8.99
Paul Revere's Ride
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, illustrated by Ted Rand
from Puffin Books
American Poetry for 2nd-6th grade
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$8.99
Pompeii
Step Into Reading Level 4
by Edith Kunhardt & Michael Eagle
from Random House
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Sam the Minuteman
An I Can Read Book Level 3
by Nathaniel Benchley & Arnold Lobel
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Samuel's Choice
by Richard Berleth
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
Sarah Morton's Day
by Kate Waters
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Non-fiction for Nursery-3rd grade
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Sarah, Plain and Tall
by Patricia MacLachlan
30th Anniversary from HarperCollins
Family Stories for 2nd-6th grade
1986 Newbery Medal winner
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Shark Lady
by Ann McGovern
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Shh! We're Writing the Constitution!
by Jean Fritz
from PaperStar Books
Historical Fiction for 2nd-4th grade
in New Nation (1783-1800) (Location: HISA-18NN)
$8.99
Skylark
by Patricia MacLachlan
from HarperCollins
Family Stories for 2nd-6th grade
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$6.99
Snowshoe Thompson
An I Can Read Book Level 3
by Nancy Smiler Levinson & Joan Sandin
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$4.99
Southern Belle Ball Gowns - Paper Dolls
by Tom Tierney
from Dover Publications
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Southern Belles - Paper Dolls
by Tom Tierney
from Dover Publications
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Story About Ping
by Marjorie Flack
from Grosset & Dunlap
Animal Realistic for Kindergarten-2nd grade
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$5.99
Story of the Underground Railroad - Coloring Book
by Peter F. Copeland
from Dover Publications
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$4.99
Trail of Tears
Step into Reading Level 5
by Joseph Bruchac
from Random House
Historical Non-fiction for 2nd-4th grade
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$4.99
Trapped By the Ice
by Michael McCurdy
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Understanding the U.S. Constitution
by Sally Senzell Isaacs
from Crabtree Publishing
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in New Nation (1783-1800) (Location: HISA-18NN)
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Wagon Wheels
An I Can Read Book Level 3
by Barbara Brenner
from HarperCollins
Historical Fiction for 2nd-4th grade
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Where Was Patrick Henry on the 29th of May?
by Jean Fritz & Margot Tomes
from PaperStar Books
Biography for 2nd-4th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$7.99
Why Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams?
by Jean Fritz
from PaperStar Books
Biography for 2nd-4th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
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Why Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams?
by Jean Fritz
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Biography for 2nd-4th grade
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Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky
by Elphinstone Dayrell
Reprint from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
1969 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Will You Sign Here, John Hancock?
by Jean Fritz
from PaperStar Books
Biography for 2nd-4th grade
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$6.99
Will You Sign Here, John Hancock?
by Jean Fritz
from Scholastic Inc.
Biography for 2nd-4th grade
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$2.00 (1 in stock)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Getting to Know the World's Greatest Composers
by Mike Venezia
from Children's Press
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in Music History (Location: ELE-MUSHIS)
World at her Fingertips
by Joan Dash
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Yo, Millard Fillmore
by Will Cleveland & Mark Alvarez
from Scholastic Inc.
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in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$1.50 (1 in stock)
Yo, Millard Fillmore
by Will Cleveland & Mark Alvarez
from Goodwood Press
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in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)