Lizzie Magie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elizabeth Magie
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| Born |
Elizabeth J. Magie
May 9, 1866 |
| Died | March 2, 1948 (aged 81) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Game Designer |
| Spouse(s) | Albert Phillips |
| Parent(s) | James Magie |
Elizabeth J. Phillips (born Magie; May 9, 1866 – March 2, 1948) was an American game designer, writer, and activist. She created The Landlord's Game, which was the first version of the popular game Monopoly. She designed her game to teach about the ideas of economist Henry George.
Contents
Elizabeth Magie's Early Life and Work
Elizabeth J. Magie was born in Macomb, Illinois, in 1866. Her father, James K. Magie, was a newspaper publisher. He was also an abolitionist, meaning he worked to end slavery. He even traveled with Abraham Lincoln when Lincoln debated politics in the 1850s.
In the early 1880s, Elizabeth moved to the Washington D.C. area. She worked as a stenographer and typist. This meant she took notes in shorthand and typed documents. She also wrote stories and poems, performed as a comedian and actress, and was an engineer.
When she was 26, Magie received a patent for an invention. It made typewriters easier to use by helping paper move through the rollers. At that time, women received less than one percent of all patents. She also worked as a news reporter for a short time. In 1910, at age 44, she married Albert Wallace Phillips.
Elizabeth Magie's Activism
Elizabeth Magie was a strong supporter of women's rights. She also believed in Georgism, an economic idea her father supported. Georgism suggests that instead of taxing people's income, the government should tax the value of land. The money collected would then be used for public services, with any extra money given back to the people.
Many leaders at the time liked this idea. They believed it would encourage people to use land productively. It would also help share wealth with people who had less money. This idea formed the basis for her game, The Landlord's Game.
Magie also believed that women were just as capable as men in business and inventing. In the 1800s, this was a very new and bold idea. When she worked as a stenographer, she earned about $10 a week. This was not enough for her to live on without a husband's help.
To show how hard it was for women in the United States, she did something unusual. She bought an advertisement and tried to "auction herself off" as a "young woman American slave." She said she was looking for a husband to "own" her. This ad was meant to highlight how women and Black people were treated. It showed that only white men were truly free. Her advertisement became a big topic of conversation across the country. Magie became known as a brave and outspoken feminist.
The Landlord's Game
Magie first shared The Landlord's Game with friends in Brentwood, Maryland. In 1903, she applied for a patent for her board game. She received U.S. Patent 748,626 on January 5, 1904.
The Landlord's Game was designed to show the problems of land monopolies. A monopoly is when one person or company controls all of something, like land. The game also showed how a land value tax could fix these problems.
Originally, the game's goal was simply to get rich. Later versions of the game had two ways to play. One was the "Monopoly" setup, where players tried to own industries and force others out. The other was the "Prosperity" setup, where players worked together to create products. This game later became the famous Monopoly (board game).
In 1906, Magie moved to Chicago. That year, she and other Georgists formed the Economic Game Co. They published her first version of The Landlord's Game. In 1910, Parker Brothers published her funny card game called Mock Trial. Later, a company in Scotland patented The Landlord's Game as "Bre'r Fox and Bre'r Rabbit."
Magie and her husband moved back to the east coast of the U.S. and patented a new version of the game in 1924. Her first patent had expired in 1921. This new patent was her way of trying to regain control of her game. Students at colleges were already making their own copies of it. In 1932, her second version of The Landlord's Game was published. This version included both the Monopoly and Prosperity ways to play.
Magie also created other games. These included Bargain Day and King's Men in 1937. She also made a third version of The Landlord's Game in 1939. In Bargain Day, shoppers compete in a department store. King's Men is a strategy game.
Monopoly, the Famous Game
Magie's game became very popular in the Northeastern United States. College students, middle-class families, and Quakers all played her board game. About 30 years after The Landlord's Game was invented, Parker Brothers published a changed version called Monopoly.
Charles Darrow claimed he invented Monopoly in his basement. Magie spoke out against this. She said she had only made $500 from her invention and received no credit for Monopoly.
In January 1936, an interview with Magie appeared in a Washington, D.C. newspaper. In it, she criticized Parker Brothers. Magie told reporters about how similar Monopoly was to The Landlord's Game. The article said that Magie spent more money making her game than she earned from it. This was especially true because she got no credit after Monopoly became popular. After the interviews, Parker Brothers agreed to publish two more of her games. However, they continued to give Darrow credit for inventing Monopoly.
Darrow was known as the inventor of Monopoly for many years. But then, Ralph Anspach discovered Magie's patents. He found out about her connection to the Monopoly game. This happened while he was in a legal fight with Parker Brothers over his own game, Anti-Monopoly. Because of this, Magie's invention of The Landlord's Game has received more attention. Even though Darrow and Parker Brothers profited from her idea, she is now recognized for creating one of the most popular board games ever.
Elizabeth Magie's Legacy
It was only after Elizabeth Magie's death in 1948 that people truly began to appreciate her impact. She helped make circular board games popular. Most games at the time were straight paths. Her circular game, which focused on social and competitive play, was a new idea.
Her board game not only inspired Monopoly, but it also taught about Georgist principles. It showed the value of sharing wealth and the harm of monopolies. This important lesson was missing from Darrow's version of Monopoly.
Magie also helped push for women's and Black people's rights. She educated others about these ideas. She invented board games when very few women held patents. She also published political writings in newspapers to speak out against unfair treatment.
Death
Magie died at age 81 in 1948. She was buried with her husband, Albert Wallace, who had died in 1937. They are buried in Columbia Gardens Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. When she died, she was not fully recognized for her big impact on board games and American culture.
Images for kids
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Grave of Magie and her husband at Columbia Gardens Cemetery
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See also
In Spanish: Elizabeth Magie para niños
