The History of Monopoly

Written by: Sitara Nair

Have you ever played Monopoly? Well, it’s been a fan favorite for many generations, played by millions worldwide. Let’s learn a little about why and how this game became so popular!

What Is Monopoly?

If you’ve never heard of Monopoly, it is a popular board game where players move around a square board and buy properties like streets or utilities. The goal of the game is to bankrupt your opponents by collecting properties and charging high rents, and the last player with money left wins. In the game, players can buy, sell, or trade to get the best deals, pull random cards (chance & community chest) that have random events that can help or hurt you, and land on special spaces like “jail” or free parking”! It’s one of the world’s best-selling board games and comes in numerous versions, including city themes, movie adaptations, and even video game adaptations. 

The History of Monopoly

It all started in the 1900s with Elizabeth "Lizzie" Magie, a writer, advocate, and inventor, who is now credited with laying the groundwork for the iconic board game. Before Magie’s name was in the picture, many say that Charles Darrow was the one who invented Monopoly during the Great Depression in the 1930s. He supposedly based the streets in the game on Atlantic City, then sold the game to Parker Brothers, becoming the first board game millionaire. However, this isn’t the case. Lizzie Magie (1866-1948) wanted to teach people about the problems of monopolies and unfair ownership. In 1904, she patented The Landlord’s Game, a similar concept. It had a continuous board, “Go to Jail”, railroads, wages, and properties to buy and sell. By using two rule sets, Monopoly Rules (players crush each other economically) and Prosperity Rules (wealth is shared more fairly), she hoped to show how monopolies are harmful and cooperation is better. After college professors used The Landlord’s Game in economic classes, students made homemade copies, and families adopted it into their lives, the game became incredibly popular. By the 1920s, the game was commonly just called Monopoly, the game we love so dearly today. Then, in the early 1930s Charles Darrow learned of the game from friends. He recreated it, polished the design, and sold it as his own invention. Soon, the Parker Brothers bought it, and Magie’s story was left behind. Parker Brothers bought her patent in 1935 for $500, and while she was upset over Darrow taking all the credit, she was dismissed. 

Today, Lizzie Magie is finally credited as the real inventor of Monopoly. The irony of the situation is that Magie’s goal was to show how monopolies (one person owning everything) are unfair, but the popular version flipped that into a game where being a monopolist is the goal!