'The Landlord's Game', patented in the US by Elizabeth Magie in 1904, was a form of which now popular board game?
History of the board game Monopoly History of the board game Monopoly The board game "Monopoly" has its origins in the early 20th century. The earliest known version of "Monopoly", known as "The Landlord's Game", was designed by an American, Elizabeth Magie, and first patented in 1904 but existed as early as 1902. Magie, a follower of Henry George, originally intended "The Landlord's Game" to illustrate the economic consequences of Ricardo's Law of Economic rent and the Georgist concepts of economic privilege and land value taxation. A series of board games was developed from 1906 through the 1930s that involved the buying and selling of land
The Landlord's Game There are hints that suggest Elizabeth Magie might have known Zohn Ahl and incorporated some of the game's ideas. In 1903, Magie filed for a patent on the game which was granted in 1904. Magie and other fellow Georgists formed a company, Economic Game Company, in 1906 New York to publish the game. Besides Magie, the incorporators were E. H. Monroe of Chicago and E. G. Lenbusher of New York. Magie approached Parker Brothers to publish this and one other game in 1909. The other game was accepted while "Landlord's" was rejected as too complicated. In the United Kingdom The