The Birthplace of Monopoly: Macomb Unveils Tribute to Lizzie Magie
By: Hannah Chatterton
The largest and most interactive Monopoly game to date debuted on May 9th. In the heart of Macomb’s downtown square are oversized sculptures of spinning dice, a gameboard, a stovepipe hat, and a statue of the creator herself.
Elizabeth “Lizzie” Magie (married Phillips) was born in Macomb on May 9th, 1866, and throughout her lifetime, was the owner of many trademarks. Her most well-known accomplishment, though, was the creation of The Landlord’s Game. The game was inspired by the words of Henry George’s Progress and Poverty. It was meant to be a game that tangibly and playfully brought to light the author’s political concepts that though people have a right to keep and spend the money they have earned, the government should also be funded by land tax. The game board she created looked a little different than the game we now think of, but her board was also built in such a fashion that players would move circularly around the board, and many of the concepts were the same. Her original game is believed to have been inspired by Macomb’s downtown square as the jail and park in her game line up with what the downtown would have looked like at the time. The game, too, was centered around one main feature, much the same as Macomb’s Square, which is centered around the county courthouse.
Though Magie’s The Landlord’s Game did not become an immediate success, some people enjoyed playing. Eventually, it became well-known enough that a man named Charles Darrow took advantage of the game still being within a public domain and simplified the playing rules, made the board more flashy and eye-catching, and named the playing squares after places in the large and thriving Atlantic City, New Jersey. He then renamed his version of the game “Monopoly” and sold his rendition to the Parker Brothers game company. The game quickly became a hit, making Darrow a wealthy man and saving Parker Brothers from near bankruptcy. Wanting to prevent further spinoffs, Parker Brothers bought out all similar games, including Magie’s original The Landlord’s Game. She sold her rights to the game for only $500, which now equates to about $11,000, thus burying her name from the invention of the game. Her due credit was only discovered later in the 1970s when Ralph Anspach entered legal troubles over the infringement of a trademark with his game “Anti-Monopoly.”
Now, with many spinoffs and new themes, the premise of the game remains much the same. The newest addition to this collection of editions is the interactive game that takes place within Macomb’s very own downtown and gives credit to the game’s original creator. To play this brought-to-life game, players need only to be in Macomb’s Square and download the free eATLAS app on their smartphone, and follow the directions to begin playing by themselves or in teams of up to five people. Estimated to last nearly two and half hours, players can explore Macomb’s Square and surrounding streets while they compete for prizes and become immersed in Magie’s game. To give greater credit to Magie, Macomb premiered the game on her birthday, May 9th, which they have deemed “Lizzie Magie Day.” As players strategize their way through the game, they will be more deeply enthralled by the history of both Lizzie Magie and her hometown of Macomb. Becoming one of the most well known board games in America, experience the intricacy and profound thought that was put into her game and brought to life for people all over the world to experience and enjoy.
