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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450 Items found Print
Active Filters: 4th grade (Ages 9-10), Trade Paperback, Used Books & Materials
Adara
by Beatrice Gormley
from Eerdmans
for 4th-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$9.00 $5.00 (2 in stock)
Adventures of Munford: Munford Meets Lewis & Clark
by Jamie Aramini
from Geography Matters
for 2nd-4th grade
in Lewis & Clark (Location: HISA-19L&C)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Africa For Kids
by Harvey Croze
from Chicago Review Press
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Air Raid - Pearl Harbor!
by Theodore Taylor
1st Gulliver Books pbk. ed from HMH Books for Young Readers
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in WWII: Pacific Theater (Location: HISA-20WW2P)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Almost Home
Daughters of the Faith
by Wendy G. Lawton
from Moody Press
Historical Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
in Daughters of the Faith (Location: SER-DAU)
$7.99 $5.00 (4 in stock)
America First updated
by Lawton B. Evans, Updated & Revised by Rachel Lebowitz
from Charlotte Mason Plenary LLC
for 4th-6th grade
in American History Reference (Location: HISA-REF)
$14.00 (1 in stock)
America in the Time of Abraham Lincoln
by Sally Senzell Isaacs
from Heinemann Library
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$4.00 (2 in stock)
American Revolution
America at War Series
by Alden Carter
from Grolier Publishing
Historical Non-fiction for 4th-6th grade
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Ancient Civilizations: China
Ancient Civilizations
by Valerie Bodden
Reprint from Creative Paperbooks
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$6.50 (1 in stock)
Ancient Maya
by Lila Perl
from Children's Press
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$5.00 (1 in stock)
Ancient Roman Art
by Susie Hodge
2nd edition from Heinemann Educational Books
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Ancient Rome Activity Book
by Mary J. Keller
from Edupress
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in Clearance: History & Geography (Location: ZCLE-HIS)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Andie's Moon
Historical House: 1969
by Linda Newbery
from Educational Development Corporation
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Anna and the King (adapted)
by Margaret Landon
from HarperCollins
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Anne Frank's Story
by Carol Ann Lee
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Anne of Avonlea
Anne #2
by L. M. Montgomery
from Aladdin Books
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Arabs in the Golden Age
by Mokhtar Moktefi & Veronique Ageorges
from Millbrook Press
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$5.00 (2 in stock)
Around the World in a Hundred Years
by Jean Fritz
from Penguin Putnam
Biography for 2nd-5th grade
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$6.00 (2 in stock)
Atlas of North American Exploration
by Glyndwr Williams, William H. Goetzmann
Oklahoma Paperbacks Ed from University of Oklahoma Press
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Australia and Oceania
True Books
by Mel Friedman
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Aztecs
Journey Into Civilization
by Robert Nicholson and Claire Watts
from Chelsea House Publishing
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Bat 6
by Virginia Euwer Wolff
from Scholastic Inc.
Historical Fiction for 4th-6th grade
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Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum
by Ashley Bryan
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 3rd-7th grade
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Beethoven Lives Upstairs
by Barbara Nichol
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Behind the Blue and Gray
by Delia Ray
from Puffin Books
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Bentwood Box
by Nan McNutt
from Sasquatch Books
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$5.00 (1 in stock)
Best Little Stories from World War II
by C. Brian Kelly
1996 Printing from Montpelier Publishing
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Big Annie of Calumet
by Jerry Stanley
from Hampton-Brown
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Birchbark House
by Louise Erdrich
from Hyperion/Madison Press
Historical Fiction for 4th-6th grade
National Book Award Finalist
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Birchbark House
by Louise Erdrich
1st edition from Scholastic Inc.
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$2.50 (1 in stock)
Bite of the Gold Bug
by Barthe DeClements
from Puffin Books
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Blackthorn Winter
Monroe Family Chronicles #1
by Doug Wilson
from Veritas Press
Nautical fiction for 4th-6th grade
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Blue Lotus
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
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Born in the Year of Courage
by Emily Crofford
from Carolrhoda Books, Inc.
Historical Fiction for 4th-6th grade
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Boston Jane
by Jennifer L. Holm
from Scholastic Reference
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Boy in the Alamo
by Margaret Cousins
from Corona Publishing Co.
Historical fiction for 4th-9th grade
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Boys and Girls of Colonial Days
by Carolyn Bailey
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
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Bud, Not Buddy
by Christopher Paul Curtis
from Yearling
Realistic Fiction for 4th-6th grade
2000 Newbery Medal winner
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Bull Run
by Paul Fleischman, David Frampton (Woodcuts)
2nd edition from Scholastic Inc.
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By the Dawn's Early Light
by Steven Kroll
from Scholastic Inc.
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Canada - Coloring Book
by A. Daniel Zook
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Canada: The People
by Bobbie Kalman
from Crabtree Publishing
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Carolina's Courage
by Elizabeth Yates
from Bob Jones University Press
Historical Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
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Cat Who Went to Heaven
by Elizabeth Coatsworth
PF from Collier Books
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$2.50 (1 in stock)
Cecily's Portrait
Historical House: 1895
by Adele Geras
from Educational Development Corporation
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Child's First Book of American History
by Earl Schenck Miers, James Daugherty
from Beautiful Feet Books
for 3rd-6th grade
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$32.95 $21.00 (1 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)
Children of the Wild West
by Russell Freedman
from Clarion Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Pioneer & Frontier Life (Location: HISA-19PIO)
$5.00 (3 in stock)
Children's Stories
Tales of the Wild West Volume 6
by Rick Steber
from Bonanza Publishing
for 4th-7th grade
in Western Expansion (1800-1898) (Location: HISA-19WES)
$2.50 (3 in stock)
China
by Diana Brianberg Grant, Diana Grant, Stanlee Brianberg
from Scholastic Press
for 4th-8th grade
in China (Location: HISMC-CHI)
$4.50 (2 in stock)
Christopher Columbus
Sowers Series
by Bennie Rhodes
from Mott Media
for 4th-6th grade
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City
by David Macaulay
from Houghton Mifflin
for 4th-8th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
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Civil War
by Janet Cassidy
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-8th Grade
in American Civil War (1860-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Civil War
by Pat Wesolowski
from Unknown Publisher
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in American Civil War (1860-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Civil War Days
American Kids in History
by David C. King
1st edition from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for 3rd-6th Grade
in American Civil War (1860-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$16.95 $8.50 (1 in stock)
Civil War Handbook - Confederate Captain
by Robin Robinson
from Silverleaf Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in American Civil War (1860-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Civil War Handbook - Union Lieutenant
by Robin Robinson
from Silverleaf Press
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in American Civil War (1860-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Civil War Heroines
by Jill Canon
from Bellerophon Books
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$2.50 (1 in stock)
Cleopatra
by Diane Stanley & Peter Vennema
from William Morrow & Company
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
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Colonial America
for 4th-6th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Colonial Kids
by Laurie Carlson
1st edition from Chicago Review Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$9.00 (2 in stock)
Colonial Times 1600-1700
by Joy Masoff
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$2.00 (2 in stock)
Colonial Town: Williamsburg
by Bobbie Kalman
Revised from Crabtree Publishing
for 1st-8th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$4.50 (2 in stock)
Coloring Book of Ancient India
by Bellerophon Books, Nancy Conkle
from Bellerophon Books
for 4th-6th grade
in India (Location: HISMC-IND)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Coloring Book of Rome
by Bellerophon Books, Nancy Conkle
from Bellerophon Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$3.00 (3 in stock)
Columbus Discovers America - Coloring Book
by Peter F. Copeland
from Dover Publications
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$4.99 $3.00 (2 in stock)
Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun
by Rhoda Blumberg
from HarperCollins
Historical Non-Fiction for 4th-8th grade
1986 Newbery Honor Book
in Japan (Location: HISMC-JAP)
$9.99 $7.00 (2 in stock)
Cowboys
Tales of the Wild West Volume 4
by Rick Steber
from Bonanza Publishing
for 4th-7th grade
in Cowboys & Cattlemen (Location: HISA-19CO)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Cowboys of the Wild West
by Russell Freedman
from Sandpiper Books
Non-fiction for 4th-8th grade
in Cowboys & Cattlemen (Location: HISA-19CO)
$6.50 (1 in stock)
Cowboys of the Wild West
by Russell Freedman
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
in Cowboys & Cattlemen (Location: HISA-19CO)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Cut and Make African Masks in Full Color
by A.G. Smith & Josie Hazen
from Dover Publications
for 4th-10th grade
in Africa (Location: HISMC-AFR)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
D is for Doufu
by Maywan Shen Krach
for 3rd-7th grade
in China (Location: HISMC-CHI)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Daniel Boone
by Daniel Boone
from Applewood Books
Biography for 4th-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$14.95 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Daniel's Story
by Carol Matas
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$3.50 (2 in stock)
Darkness Over Denmark
by Ellen Levine
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-7th grade
in Holocaust (Location: HISW-20WW2H)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Davy Crockett
by David Crockett
from Applewood Books
Biography for 4th-8th grade
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$14.95 $10.00 (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)
Deirdre
by David Guard; illustrated by Gretchen Guard
2nd edition from Celestial Arts
for 4th-6th grade
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Diary of an Early American Boy
by Eric Sloane
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
for 4th-8th grade
in Pioneer & Frontier Life (Location: HISA-19PIO)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Diary of an Early American Boy
by Eric Sloane
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
for 4th-8th grade
in Pioneer & Frontier Life (Location: HISA-19PIO)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: American Revolution
by Stuart Murray
from DK Publishing
for 4th-8th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Douglas Macarthur: American Hero
Book Report Biographies
by Barbara Silberdick Feinberg
from Franklin Watts
for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Down Ryton Water
by E.R. Gaggin
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
for 4th-6th grade
1942 Newbery Honor
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$4.50 (2 in stock)
Eating the Plates
by Lucille Recht Penner
from Aladdin Paperbacks
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in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Elijah Of Buxton
by Christopher Paul Curtis
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
2008 Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner, 2008 Newbery Honor Book
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$7.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Era of Modernization Through the 1930s
by Kathy Sammis
from Walch Publishing
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in Clearance: History & Geography (Location: ZCLE-HIS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
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)
Everything You Need to Know About American History Homework
by Anne Zeman & Kate Kelly
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in American History Reference (Location: HISA-REF)
$5.50 (2 in stock)
Exploration of Africa
by Colin Hynson
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
in Africa (Location: HISMC-AFR)
$2.50 (2 in stock)
Explore South America
Explore the Continents
by Bobbie Kalman
from Crabtree Publishing
for 3rd-5th grade
in Latin & South America (Location: HISMC-LAT)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Explorers News
The History News
by Michael Johnstone
from Candlewick Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Age of Exploration (1450-1700) (Location: HISA-16EXP)
$6.99 $4.50 (4 in stock)
Explorers Who Got Lost
by Diane Dreher
from Tor Classic
Non-fiction for 4th-8th grade
in Age of Exploration (1450-1700) (Location: HISA-16EXP)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Explorers Who Got Lost
by Diane Sansevere-Dreher, Illustrated by Ed Renfro
from Starscape
for 4th-8th grade
in Age of Exploration (1450-1700) (Location: HISA-16EXP)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Faces: Australia Through Time
for 4th-8th grade
in Australia & Oceania (Location: HISMC-AU)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Faith Unfurled
from History Compass
for 4th-8th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$7.95 $5.57 (1 in stock)
Fall of Quebec
by George Ochoa
from Silver Burdett Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Canada (Location: HISMC-CAN)
$4.50 (1 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)
Father to Nobody's Children
by David E. Fessenden
from CLC Publications
for 4th-7th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Fighting Ground
by Avi
from HarperCollins
for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Finding Providence
An I Can Read Chapter Book
by Avi
from HarperCollins
for 3rd-5th grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$4.99 $2.50 (1 in stock)
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