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👀 #TIL Monopoly wasn't invented by the Parker Brothers, nor the man they gave it credit for. In 1904, Monopoly was originally called The Landlord's Game, and was invented by a radical woman. Elizabeth Magie's original game had not one, but two sets of rules to choose from.
One was called "Prosperity", where every player won money anytime another gained a property. And the game was won by everyone playing only when the person with the least doubled their resources. A game of collaboration and social good.
The second set of rules was called "Monopoly", where players succeeded by taking properties and rent from those with less luck rolling the dice. The winner was the person who used their power to eliminate everyone else.
Magie's mission was to teach us how different we feel when playing Prosperity vs Monopoly, hoping that it would one day change national policies.
When the Parker Bros adopted the game, they erased the "Prosperity" rules and celebrated "Monopoly".
#ElizabethMagie #Monopoly #Landlord
HT Tumblr.com/soberscientistlife
in reply to Heliograph

Wow, I really didn't know this, so good to know. Too bad the developers took out Prosperity, this is interesting. Monopoly usually made me very nervous.

@Sheril Maybe one for the women in history?

in reply to 🌼 Dagnabbit, Pascaline! 🌼

She’s already there - Elizabeth Magie was among the first posts

https://mastodon.social/@Sheril/109466460231965655


Did you know Monopoly was invented by a woman named Elizabeth Magie in 1903?

Originally ‘The Landlord’s Game,’ it was designed as a protest against the big monopolists like Carnegie & Rockefeller.

But it was Charles Darrow, an unemployed salesman, who eventually sold it to Parker Brothers after playing a version.

Parker Brothers credited Monopoly with saving their company. Magie died in 1948 without recognition. Darrow became very wealthy & his legend lives on. #history #women #HistoryRemix


in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum

@Sheril @pascaline
This PBS documentary about Monopoly's origins and Elizabeth Magie was very good.

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/ruthless-monopolys-secret-history/

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