This workbook covers the full story of America from its earliest inhabitants to modern times. You'll learn what standard textbooks teach, but you'll also discover hidden truths that most schools don't share. We'll examine American history through the lens of Scripture and see how Yahuah's hand has moved throughout this nation's story.
How to Use This Workbook: Read each section carefully, complete the fill-in-the-blank exercises, and discuss the questions with your family. Always test what you learn against Scripture!
Before European exploration, millions of people lived across North and South America. Understanding their history and where they came from is essential to understanding American history.
Standard textbooks say Native Americans descended from Asian peoples who crossed a "land bridge" (Beringia) from Siberia to Alaska during the last Ice Age, approximately 12,000-15,000 years ago. They developed diverse cultures and civilizations over thousands of years, including the mound builders, cliff dwellers, and great confederacies like the Iroquois.
The Bible teaches that all humans descended from Noah's sons after the Flood (Genesis 9-10). Native Americans, like all peoples, trace back to this common ancestry. Some researchers suggest possible Hebrew or even Israelite connections based on certain cultural and linguistic similarities. The timeline is much shorter than secular claims - roughly 4,300 years rather than 15,000.
Evidence suggests ancient peoples from various civilizations may have visited or even settled in the Americas long before Columbus:
The "Age of Exploration" brought European powers to the Americas, forever changing the course of history for all peoples involved.
Columbus "discovered" America in 1492 while seeking a western route to Asia. Spain, Portugal, France, England, and the Netherlands competed to claim territories and resources. The Spanish conquered the Aztec and Inca empires. European diseases devastated Native populations. The Columbian Exchange brought new plants, animals, and ideas between hemispheres.
Columbus himself wrote in his journal that he believed he was fulfilling biblical prophecy and spreading Christianity. Many explorers saw their missions in spiritual terms - some sincerely, others hypocritically. We must evaluate their actions by Scripture: did they show love to their neighbors? Did they spread truth or use religion to justify sin?
Columbus's Private Writings: Columbus wrote extensively about wanting to fund a new Crusade to retake Jerusalem and believed he was living in the end times. His motivations were more complex than just "gold and glory."
The Spanish Requirement (Requerimiento): Before attacking, Spanish conquistadors were required to read a document demanding Native submission to the Pope and Spanish crown - often read in Spanish to people who didn't understand, or from shipboard before anyone could hear.
A Spanish priest who first participated in the conquest but then became one of the first advocates for Native rights. He documented Spanish atrocities in "A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies" (1542). His writings show that even in that era, some Christians recognized the injustice being committed.
The English colonies that eventually became the United States were founded for various reasons - some religious, some commercial. Understanding their diverse origins helps explain later American culture.
The colonies developed distinct regional characteristics: New England focused on shipping and trade; Middle colonies were diverse "breadbasket" regions; Southern colonies developed plantation agriculture dependent on enslaved labor. Colonial governments developed traditions of self-rule through assemblies like the Virginia House of Burgesses (1619).
Many colonists genuinely sought to build societies based on biblical principles. The Mayflower Compact (1620) explicitly stated they came "for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith." However, we must honestly acknowledge that many also violated Scripture through:
"Having undertaken, for the Glory of God, and advancement of the Christian Faith, and Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the first Colony in the Northern Parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God, and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic..."
Freemasonry in Colonial America: By the 1730s, Masonic lodges were established throughout the colonies. Many colonial leaders were Freemasons, raising questions about competing influences on America's founding.
The Slavery Contradiction: By 1750, the colonies had about 240,000 enslaved Africans. This evil would become embedded in America's economic and political systems for generations.
On a blank map of the eastern United States, label:
The events leading to American independence involved complex questions about taxation, representation, liberty, and authority - questions that still matter today.
After the French and Indian War, Britain needed revenue and believed colonists should help pay for their defense. Colonial protests against taxes like the Stamp Act were based on the principle that only their own elected representatives could tax them. Tensions escalated until armed conflict began at Lexington and Concord.
The question of whether the American Revolution was biblically justified is debated by Christians:
Thoughtful believers have reached different conclusions on this question.
Masonic Connections: Many Revolutionary leaders were Freemasons: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Paul Revere, and others. The Boston Tea Party was organized at the Green Dragon Tavern, known as the "Headquarters of the Revolution" - it was also home to a Masonic lodge.
Economic Factors: The Currency Act of 1764 prohibited colonies from issuing their own money, forcing them to borrow from British banks at interest. Benjamin Franklin said this was a major cause of the Revolution.
"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"
After winning independence, the new nation had to decide how to govern itself. The Constitution they created has been the law of the land for over 230 years - but was it truly founded on biblical principles?
The Constitution established a federal republic with separation of powers (executive, legislative, judicial) and checks and balances. Key compromises included the Great Compromise (bicameral legislature) and the Three-Fifths Compromise (counting enslaved people for representation). The Bill of Rights protected individual liberties.
The separation of powers actually reflects Isaiah 33:22 - Yahuah is Judge (judicial), Lawgiver (legislative), and King (executive). However, the Constitution also:
Was it a Christian document? Or did it reflect Enlightenment ideas mixed with some biblical principles?
The Convention's Secrecy: The Constitutional Convention met in secret. Delegates were sworn to secrecy, and the windows were nailed shut. We only know what happened because James Madison took detailed notes - but they weren't published until after his death in 1836.
Anti-Federalist Warnings: Opponents of the Constitution warned it gave too much power to the federal government and would eventually lead to tyranny. Many of their predictions have come true.
| Founder | Religious Views | Masonic Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| George Washington | Anglican/Deist elements | Yes - Master Mason |
| Benjamin Franklin | Deist | Yes - Grand Master |
| John Adams | Unitarian | No |
| Thomas Jefferson | Deist/created own "Bible" | Unknown |
| Samuel Adams | Calvinist Christian | No |
The young nation expanded rapidly westward, but the unresolved sin of slavery would eventually tear the nation apart in its bloodiest war.
"Manifest Destiny" was the belief that Americans were destined to expand across the continent. The Civil War was fought primarily over slavery and states' rights. The Union victory preserved the nation and ended slavery. Reconstruction attempted to rebuild the South and integrate formerly enslaved people into society.
The Bible clearly teaches that kidnapping people for slavery is a capital crime (Exodus 21:16). American chattel slavery was a gross violation of Scripture. The Civil War can be seen as divine judgment on a nation that allowed this evil to continue for so long. As Abraham Lincoln said in his Second Inaugural Address, perhaps the war was God's punishment until "every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword."
Economic Motives for Civil War: While slavery was the central issue, there were also economic factors. Northern industrialists wanted protective tariffs; Southern planters wanted free trade. The war also consolidated banking power in the North.
Lincoln's True Views: Lincoln is often portrayed as simply fighting to free enslaved people, but his views were complex. He initially said he would preserve slavery where it existed if it would save the Union. The Emancipation Proclamation only freed enslaved people in rebel territories, not loyal border states.
The late 1800s and early 1900s transformed America from an agricultural nation into an industrial powerhouse - and a world power through two devastating wars.
Industrialization brought progress but also problems: child labor, dangerous factories, monopolies. The Progressive Era brought reforms. The Federal Reserve was created to stabilize the economy. The US emerged from WWI as a world power and from WWII as a superpower. The New Deal helped end the Great Depression.
The Federal Reserve was created in 1913 after a secret meeting on Jekyll Island, Georgia. Despite its name, it is not fully federal (it's a private banking system) and has no reserves. It gives private bankers the power to create money and charge the government interest on it. Many believe this transferred control of America's economy from the people to international banking interests.
Industrial titans like John D. Rockefeller (oil) and Andrew Carnegie (steel) accumulated vast wealth. They also funded foundations that shaped American education, medicine, and culture. The Rockefeller Foundation funded the General Education Board, which helped redesign American public schools. Are these foundations benevolent, or do they serve other agendas?
After WWII, America faced a new rival in the Soviet Union while also confronting its own legacy of racial injustice at home.
The Cold War was an ideological battle between capitalism and communism. The US pursued "containment" of Soviet expansion. The Civil Rights Movement, led by figures like Martin Luther King Jr., used nonviolent protest to end segregation and secure voting rights for Black Americans.
The Civil Rights Movement drew heavily on biblical principles. MLK Jr. was a Baptist pastor who quoted Scripture extensively. The movement rightly recognized that racial discrimination violated the biblical truth that all humans are made in Yahuah's image. However, some argue the movement was later co-opted by forces with different agendas.
Operation Mockingbird: The CIA ran programs to infiltrate and influence major American media outlets from the 1950s onward. How much of what Americans believed about the Cold War came from genuine journalism versus government propaganda?
JFK Assassination: The official story (lone gunman Lee Harvey Oswald) has been questioned by many researchers. The Warren Commission's findings remain controversial. What did Kennedy know or threaten that made him a target?
COINTELPRO: The FBI ran secret programs to "disrupt" civil rights and other movements, including surveillance, infiltration, and disinformation.
Recent American history has seen dramatic technological change, cultural shifts, and events that continue to shape our world today.
America has faced challenges including Watergate, economic ups and downs, the end of the Cold War, terrorism, and a global pandemic. Technology has transformed daily life through computers, the internet, and smartphones. America remains the world's leading power.
The Patriot Act: Passed just weeks after 9/11, this massive law was ready to go - almost as if it had been written beforehand. It dramatically expanded government surveillance powers.
Central Bank Digital Currency: Plans are underway to replace cash with programmable digital money that could be controlled, tracked, and even turned off for individuals. This sounds like the infrastructure for Revelation 13's "mark" system.
The Great Reset: World Economic Forum's plan to reshape society, economy, and governance. Their slogan: "You will own nothing and be happy."
Many believers see in current events the fulfillment of end-times prophecy:
We must be watchful but not fearful - Yahuah is in control!
As we conclude our survey of American history, let's review what we've learned and reflect on how to apply biblical wisdom to our understanding of history.
Match each date with the correct event:
Write a paragraph answering each question:
For parent/teacher use
Matching:
True/False:
You have completed the US History Survey workbook. Remember: history is not just about memorizing dates and events. It's about understanding how Yahuah works through human affairs, recognizing patterns of good and evil, and learning wisdom for our own times.
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." - George Santayana
"The fear of Yahuah is the beginning of wisdom." - Proverbs 9:10