United States History

What should we say about the United States of America? So much has already been said, adding our two cents is a bit redundant or presumptuous, depending on your perspective. Certainly, no one needs us to outline the facts, the major events and figures, or to describe our unique written Constitution and democratic-republican system.

We can offer a bit of perspective. It's nothing new, nothing we came up with on our own, but it is different from a lot of the prevailing notions about both history in general and our nation in particular.

For starters, there's no specific reference to the U.S. in the Bible. The principles found in God's Word that apply to all nations certainly apply to the United States as well, but we aren't a Christian nation, we don't hold a special place in biblical prophecy, and Manifest Destiny is the result of Enlightenment rationalist views about the Progress of Mankind rather than being rooted in any kind of Christian attitude.

That said, many of the first settlers of the New World were dedicated Christians seeking the right to worship God without the constraints of political entanglement or government-imposed strictures and doctrine. The Pilgrims came in 1620, just 13 years after the first successful English settlement at Jamestown, and the Puritan settlers followed soon after.

Their arrivals and colonization didn't make America Christian, of course. It was a broad continent, largely unknown, and the initial colonies weren't strictly bound together at first, as they were later to become. By that time, things had become substantially more secular, so that by the 18th century many Americans were just as degenerate as their European counterparts. Fortunately, men like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield were around to preach the true Gospel, and to initiate a revival known as the Great Awakening.

Secular forces were still at work, though. While there were definitely many Christians involved, the American Revolution was largely the result of Enlightenment philosophizing, and men were convinced that America could produce a virtuous and stable population if education and participatory government were enforced. So they rebelled against England, and the United States republic was formed.

Ever since, groups and individuals have tried to call Americans back to their Christian roots. That's the wrong strategy: we don't need to call anyone back to anything, we need to point the way forward to the pursuit of Christ and the bringing of His Gospel and glory to every corner of the earth no matter what our country of origin. That America has been so materially blessed simply means we have more options at our disposal for proclaiming and bringing the Word to the rest of the world.

Our study of United States history is consequently Christ-centered. Not because we think America is more Christian than other countries, but because it (like all other nations) is under Christ's control as King of Heaven and Lord of Time. Of course, you shouldn't abandon study of the facts, people and events, but they only attain true meaning when viewed through the lens of Christ's ultimate plan of redemption and self-glorification.

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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1,017 Items found Print
Active Filters: 4th grade (Ages 9-10), Used Books & Materials
100 African-Americans Who Shaped American History
by Chrisanne Beckner
from Bluewood Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving
by Catherine O'Neill Grace
from National Geographic
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in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
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1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving
by Catherine O'Neill Grace
from National Geographic
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500 Facts: American History for Kids
from Rockridge Press
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in American History Reference (Location: HISA-REF)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Abe Lincoln Gets His Chance
by Frances Cavanah
from Rand McNally
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
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Abigail Adams Package (FACE)
by Rosalie J. Slater, Evelyn Witter
from Foundation for American Christian Education
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Across America
by Jacqueline Morley
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Across America, I Love You
by Christine Loomis, illustrated by Kate Kiesler
from Hyperion Press
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$7.99 (1 in stock)
Adventures of Lewis and Clark
by John Bakeless
from Dover Publications
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$10.95 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Adventures of Munford: The American Revolution
by Jamie Aramini
1st edition from Geography Matters
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Adventures with the Santa Fe Trail
by Dave Webb, illustrated by Phillip R. Buntin
Revised from Kansas Heritage Center
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Africa Is My Home
by Monica Edinger, illustrated by Robert Byrd
from Scholastic Inc.
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Akavak
by James Houston
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Almost Home
Daughters of the Faith
by Wendy G. Lawton
from Moody Press
Historical Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
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Amelia Earhart
by Francene Sabin and Joanne Mattern, illustrated by Karen Milone
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America At War: Korean War
by John Perritano
from Scholastic Inc.
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America In Korean War
by KidCaps
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
America in the Time of Abraham Lincoln
by Sally Senzell Isaacs
from Heinemann Library
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America is Born
A History for Peter #1
by Gerald W. Johnson (iilustrations by Leonard Everett Fisher)
from William Morrow & Company
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America's Lost Dream
by Tom Dooley
from Master Books
American History for 4th-6th grade
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American Adventures Part 1
by Morrie Greenberg
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$3.50 (5 in stock)
American Adventures Part 2
by Morrie Greenberg
from Brooke-Richards Press
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$6.00 (2 in stock)
American History for Young Students I
by Michelle Miller
from TruthQuest History
History Curriculum for 1st-5th grade
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$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: Globalization 1977-2008
from Saddleback Educational Publishing
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American History: The Civil Rights Movement & Vietnam 1960-1976
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American Indian in Words and Pictures
by Sydney Fletcher
from Grosset & Dunlap
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American Indian Prayer Guide
by Danette Maloof, Dean Cozzens
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
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American Indian Tales and Legends
by Vladimir Hulpach, illustrated by Miloslav Troup
from Paul Hamlyn
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
American Milestones: The U. S. Constitution (September 17, 1787)
by Carole Marsh
from Gallopade International
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American Milestones: World War I
by Carole Marsh
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American Milestones: World War II (1939-1945)
by Carole Marsh
from Gallopade International
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American Presidents & Presidential First Ladies Notebooking Pages
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American Revolution
America at War Series
by Alden Carter
from Grolier Publishing
Historical Non-fiction for 4th-6th grade
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American Revolution
Revolution!
by R. G. Grant
from Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishing
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American Revolution for Kids
by Janis Herbert
1st edition from Chicago Review Press
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Amethyst Ring
by Scott O'Dell
from Houghton Mifflin
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Among the Plains Indians
from Lerner Publishing Group
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Ancient Maya
by Lila Perl
from Children's Press
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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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Annie Henry and the Secret Mission
Adventures of the American Revolution
by Susan Olasky
from Crossway Books
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Appomattox
by Burke Davis
from HarperCollins
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Art of Keeping Cool
by Janet Taylor Lisle
from Scholastic Inc.
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2001 Scott O'Dell Award
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Art of the Southeastern Indians
by Shirley Glubok
from Macmillan
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Art of the Woodland Indians
by Shirley Glubok
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Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.: April 4, 1968
24 Hour History
by Terry Collins
from Capstone Press
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Atlas of North American Exploration
by Glyndwr Williams, William H. Goetzmann
Oklahoma Paperbacks Ed from University of Oklahoma Press
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Aztecs
Journey Into Civilization
by Robert Nicholson and Claire Watts
from Chelsea House Publishing
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Ballad of Lucy Whipple
by Karen Cushman
from HarperCollins
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Battle of Valcour Bay
Triangle Histories: The Revolutionary War
by Scott Ingram
from Blackbirch Press
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Before Columbus
by Charles C. Mann
from Atheneum
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Before Columbus
by Charles C. Mann
from Atheneum
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Before the Gold Rush
from McClelland & Stewart Limited
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Beginner's American History
by D. H. Montgomery
Updated from Avyx, Inc.
for 3rd-5th grade
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$14.00 (1 in stock)
Behave Yourself, Bethany Brant
by Patricia Beatty
from William Morrow & Company
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Behind the Blue and Gray
by Delia Ray
from Puffin Books
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Benjamin Franklin
Makers of America
by Ruth Cromer Weir, illustrated by Rus Anderson
from Abingdon Press
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Bentwood Box
by Nan McNutt
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Best Bad Thing
by Yoshiko Uchida
from Aladdin Paperbacks
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$4.50 (1 in stock)
Betsy Ross
Leaders of the American Revolution
by Vicki Cox
from Chelsea House Publishing
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in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Betsy Ross: Designer of our Flag
Childhood of Famous Americans
by Ann Weil
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
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Big Annie of Calumet
by Jerry Stanley
1st edition
for 4th-7th grade
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Big Annie of Calumet
by Jerry Stanley
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
Big Book of the Civil War
by Joanne Mattern
from Courage Books
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$7.00 (1 in stock)
Big Golden Book of Christopher Columbus and Other Early Adventurers
by Russell Bourne, illustrated by Thomas LaPadula
from Golden Books
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Biggest (and best) Flag That Ever Flew
by Rebecca C. Jones, illustrated by Charles Geer
from Tidewater Publishers
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Bill of Rights
by Warren Colman
from Children's Book Club
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Bill of Rights
by Lucia Raatma
from Scholastic Inc.
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Bill of Rights in Translation
by Amie Jane Leavitt
from Capstone Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Billy Yank - Coloring Book
by Alan Archambault
from Bellerophon Books
Coloring Book for 4th-8th grade
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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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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Birchbark House
by Louise Erdrich
from Hyperion/Madison Press
Historical Fiction for 4th-6th grade
National Book Award Finalist
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Bite of the Gold Bug
by Barthe DeClements
from Puffin Books
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Black Courage
by A. E. Schraff
from Macrae-Smith Company
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$10.00 (1 in stock)
Black Elk's Vision
by S. D. Nelson
from Abrams Books for Young Readers
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$8.00 (1 in stock)
Blackthorn Winter
Monroe Family Chronicles #1
by Doug Wilson
from Veritas Press
Nautical fiction for 4th-6th grade
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Blackthorn Winter
Veritas Maritime Series #1
by Doug Wilson
from Veritas Press
Nautical fiction for 4th-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Blast Back!: The Civil Rights Movement
by Nancy Ohlin, illustrated by Roger Simo
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-5th grade
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
Blazing West: The Journal of Augustus Pelletier
by Kathryn Lasky
from Scholastic Inc.
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Blizzard!
by Jim Murphy
from Scholastic Press
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2001 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book
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$8.00 (1 in stock)
Blockade Runners and Ironclads
by Wallace B. Black
from Franklin Watts
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Blue Willow
Puffin Newbery Library
by Doris Gates
from Puffin Books
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1941 Newbery Honor Book
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Book of the American Indians
Brown Paper School USKids History
by Marlene Smith-Baranzini & Howard Egger-Bovet
from Little, Brown & Company
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$5.00 (1 in stock)
Boston
from Crescent Books
for 4th-Adult
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$8.00 (1 in stock)
Boston Jane
by Jennifer L. Holm
from Scholastic Reference
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
Bound for Oregon
by Jean Van Leeuwen
from Puffin Books
Historical Fiction for 4th-7th grade
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Boy on the Wooden Box
by Leon Leyson
Reprint from Atheneum
for 4th-8th grade
Christopher Award
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Brady
by Jean Fritz
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Bringing Back the Wolves
by Jude Isabella; illustrated by Kim Smith
from Kids Can Press
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Brooklyn Bridge
by Lynn Curlee
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Brooklyn Bridge
by Elizabeth Mann
from Mikaya Press
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Bud, Not Buddy
by Christopher Paul Curtis
from Yearling
Realistic Fiction for 4th-6th grade
2000 Newbery Medal winner
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
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Bud, Not Buddy
by Christopher Paul Curtis
from Laurel-Leaf Books
Realistic Fiction for 4th-6th grade
2000 Newbery Medal winner
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
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Bull Run
by Paul Fleischman
from HarperCollins
Historical Fiction for 4th-7th grade
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Bull Run
by Paul Fleischman, David Frampton (Woodcuts)
2nd edition from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Bull Run
by Paul Fleischman
from HarperCollins
Historical Fiction for 4th-7th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Button Blanket
from Sasquatch Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Native American History (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
By the Dawn's Early Light
by Steven Kroll
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-4th grade
in War of 1812 (Location: HISA-19WET)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Cabin Boy to Advent Crusader
by Virgil Robinson, illustrated by Harry Baerg
from Southern Publishing Association
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Caddie Woodlawn
by Carol Ryrie Brink
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Realistic Family Fiction for 3rd-7th grade
1936 Newbery Medal winner
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
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