E-text prepared by Malcolm Farmer, Julia12000, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries (http://www.archive.org/details/toronto) Note: Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries. See http://www.archive.org/details/ifsofhistory00chamuoft THE IFS OF HISTORY by JOSEPH EDGAR CHAMBERLIN Philadelphia Henry Altemus Company Copyright, 1907, by Howard E. Altemus CONTENTS I. IF THEMISTOCLES HAD NOT BEATEN ARISTIDES IN AN ATHENIAN ELECTION 13 II. IF THE MOORS HAD WON THE BATTLE OF TOURS 21 III. IF KING ETHELRED OF ENGLAND HAD NOT MARRIED THE NORMAN EMMA 30 IV. IF COLUMBUS HAD KEPT HIS STRAIGHT COURSE WESTWARD 37 V. IF QUEEN ELIZABETH OF ENGLAND HAD LEFT A SON OR DAUGHTER 47 VI. IF THE PHILARMONIA HAD NOT GIVEN CONCERTS AT VICENZA 56 VII. IF THE SPANISH ARMADA HAD SAILED AT ITS APPOINTED TIME 64 VIII. IF CHAMPLAIN HAD TARRIED IN PLYMOUTH BAY 71 IX. IF CHARLES II HAD ACCEPTED THE KINGSHIP OF VIRGINIA 79 X. IF ADMIRAL PENN HAD PERSISTED IN DISOWNING HIS SON WILLIAM 91 XI. IF THE BOY GEORGE WASHINGTON HAD BECOME A BRITISH MIDSHIPMAN 99 XII. IF ALEXANDER HAMILTON HAD NOT WRITTEN ABOUT THE HURRICANE 107 XIII. IF LAFAYETTE HAD HELD THE FRENCH REIGN OF TERROR IN CHECK 114 XIV. IF GILBERT LIVINGSTON HAD NOT VOTED NEW YORK INTO THE UNION 121 XV. IF THE PIRATE JEAN LAFITTE HAD JOINED THE BRITISH AT NEW ORLEANS 129 XVI. IF JAMES MACDONNEL HAD NOT CLOSED THE GATES OF HUGOMONT CASTLE 138 XVII. IF ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S FATHER HAD MOVED SOUTHWARD, NOT NORTHWARD 150 XVIII. IF SKIPPER JENNINGS HAD NOT RESCUED CERTAIN SHIPWRECKED JAPANESE 160 XIX. IF ORSINI'S BOMB HAD NOT FAILED TO DESTROY NAPOLEON III 170 XX. IF PRESIDENT JAMES BUCHANAN HAD ENFORCED THE LAW IN NOVEMBER, 1860 176 XXI. IF THE CONFEDERATES HAD MARCHED ON WASHINGTON AFTER BULL RUN 185