money & economicsThe Public Domain Review1903–1935 · USA
Monopoly came from Lizzie Magie's anti-monopoly teaching game, patented in 1903
Elizabeth Magie patented The Landlord's Game in 1903 to teach Henry George's single-tax idea, the belief that land cannot truly be owned and should be taxed for shared benefit. The game had two rule sets: one where wealth was spread evenly and winning was a shared achievement, and one where players built monopolies and ruined each other. Homemade copies spread through college and social circles. In the 1930s Charles Darrow sold a version of the game to Parker Brothers and claimed he had invented it, and the company kept that story for decades. Magie's rules came back to light in the 1970s, when economist Ralph Anspach fought Parker Brothers in court.
Monopoly became one of the best-selling board games ever, yet it was sold with the reverse of its inventor's message. The case shows how a company's origin story can outlast the evidence against it, and how a game can teach an economic lesson.
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Monopoly is a multiplayer economics-themed board game. In the game, players roll two standard dice (or one extra special red die depending on the game) to move their token clockwise around the board, buying and trading properties and railroads and developing them with houses and hotels. Players collect rent from their opponents and aim to drive them into bankruptcy. Money can also be gained or lost through Chance and Community Chest cards and tax squares. Players receive a salary every time they pass "Go" and can end up in jail, from which they cannot move until they have met one of three conditions. House rules, hundreds of different editions, many spin-offs, and related media exist.
Monopoly has become a part of international popular culture, having been licensed locally in more than 113 countries and printed in more than 46 languages. As of 2015, it was estimated that the game had sold 275 million copies worldwide. The properties on the original game board were named after locations in and around Atlantic City, New Jersey.
From Wikipedia: Monopoly (game) (CC BY-SA 4.0) ↗
Image: The Public Domain Review
