Elizabeth Magie

Elizabeth Magie grew up looking up to her father, a newspaper publisher who was also was an abolitionist. Her father joined Lincoln as he debated in Illinois in the late 1850’s. Her father introduced her to a single tax system in which she believed in. This system was that people should only own things they produce themselves, things that come from the land, like natural resources should belong equally to everyone.

This belief system was likely what led Magie to create the board game, The Landlords Game. According to the NY Times, “She created two sets of rules for her game: an anti-monopolist set in which all were rewarded when wealth was created, and a monopolist set in which the goal was to create monopolies and crush opponents. Her dualistic approach was a teaching tool meant to demonstrate that the first set of rules was morally superior.”

This game idea would go on to be stolen by Charles Darrow in the 1930’s calling in Monopoly. The game would go on to make him a millionaire, while Magie only was able to make about 500 dollars off her original idea. In 1936, when the game was very popular, Magie showed her version of the game to reporters, but nothing seemed to come from it. Sadly it wasn’t until recently that Magie has been given credit for her idea.

Magie was also a feminist in her time. According to Biography.com, “Finding it difficult to support herself on the ten dollars a week she was earning as a stenographer, Lizzie staged an audacious stunt that made national headlines. Purchasing an advertisement, she offered herself for sale as a ‘young woman American slave’ to the highest bidder. She said that she had ‘rare and versatile dramatic ability; a born entertainer; strong bohemian characteristics, can appreciate a good story at the same time she is deeply and truly religious—not pious.’” Magie pointed out that a women’s only prospects were to marry well, in order to live a comfortable life. While she did end up marrying a man, she did so in her 40’s which wasn’t common for women at that time.

Magie was forgotten by history for both her part in creating a well-known board game and fighting for feminist beliefs until recent times. She can now be remembered as a powerful women who didn’t let her femininity stop her from doing things that men had only done.

Sources:

Pilon, Mary. Biography.com. Feb 19th, 2015. https://www.biography.com/news/monopoly-history-lizzie-magie (accessed Jan 31st, 2017).

—. New York Times. Feb 13th, 2015. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/business/behind-monopoly-an-inventor-who-didnt-pass-go.html (accessed Jan 31, 2017).