Monpoly: The Board Game Of Monopoly

The board game of Monopoly is an American classic. Players learn to love and hate each other through this cutthroat and greedy game. Lines are crossed and personal boundaries are thrown out the door, but with a little bit of luck and strategy, one player will reign over them all with all the imaginary cash that they could imagine. What most Monopoly players do not know, however, is that the game was initially the product of a passion for social and economic justice. During the 1800s, the father of Elizabeth Magie introduced her to the ideas and beliefs of Henry George. Elizabeth then took it upon herself to teach others what she had learned from Mr. George. This would be the spark of the idea of the game known today as Monopoly. While working

There were also 4 smaller squares in the center of the game board that each had their own functions and rules. Elizabeth’s goal was to show people how Henry George’s economic system and ideas worked and functioned in everyday life. Some of the first commercial versions of “The Landlord’s Game” would arise, not just with the help of Elizabeth’s followers, but also with her new husband. Together they patented a new edition of “The Landlord’s Game” in 1924. Along with the new physical changes to the game board in terms of design, the new version now had street names, a new and alternative set of instructions and rules, and a new name called “Prosperity.” The new design looked very similar to the previous one. One physical change to take note of was that there were now 8 thin rectangles instead of 9 that were on all 4 sides of the

Sales were skyrocketing and Charles Darrow was becoming wealthy. Parker Brothers was the major company that handled the profits of the game. In 1932, the Parkers Brothers bought Elizabeth’s patent for $500. They were only allowed to though if they continued to create the “The Landlord’s Game” and “Monopoly” simultaneously. In 1939 a third edition of “The Landlord’s Game” was published by the Parker Brothers, but they did nothing to promote it though. As a result, the game was recalled from stores and only few copies survived. Staying true to their word, the Parker Brothers placed two sets of rules with all of the games. However, the Parker Brothers only placed the set of rules that they copyrighted into the game when it was actually sold. Remarkably enough, Hasbro actually posted Elizabeth’s original instructions onto their company website. Elizabeth unfortunately passed away in 1948 in Arlington, Virginia. It is amazing how fast and rapid the game of Monopoly or any game in general can be spread. Just by word of mouth, it spread like a disease. The evolution of Monopoly is still rising to this day. It is hard to imagine what version might come