Strange Country Episode 22: Lizzie Magie
Jan 4, 2018
What kind of capitalist are you? Did you play Monopoly for hours with your family in hopes of owning all the land and hoarding all the money? Guess what? That's not how the game was originally meant to be played. And remember the sweet story of the inventor of Monopoly, Charles Darrow, a poor man, destitute and desperate to support his wife and children on a lowly electrician's salary-only to come to amazing riches once he invented and sold the exciting game of Monopoly to the Parker Brothers monopoly? That's not how the game was originally invented either.
It was all the works of the brilliant Lizzie Magie, who owned the patent for the Landlord's Game-the original monopoly game, which by the way included the anti-monopoly version.
Join us for the tale of Lizzie, a woman who is very likely related to Beth, and a woman who said one of our most favorite quotes ever, "I'm glad I was taught how to think, not what to think."
Enjoy our 22nd episode and we'll take Atlantic Avenue, with a couple of little green houses.
Theme music: Resting Place by A Cast of Thousands
Cite Your Sources Man...
Anspach, Mark. Anti-Monoploy Inc. Anti-Monopoly Inc. 2015-2016.
Dodson, Edward J. "The True History of the Monopoly Game" Henrygeorge.org. Henry George Institute. 2017
Pilon, Mary. The monopolists: obsession, fury, and the scandal behind the worlds favorite board game. Bloomsbury, 2016.
Pilon, Mary. "Monopoly's Inventor: The Progressive Who Did Not Pass Go." The New York Times. Feb. 13, 2015. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/business/behind-monopoly-an-inventor-who-didnt-pass-go.html?rref=collection%2Fbyline%2Fmary-pilon&action=click&contentCollection=undefined®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=4&pgtype=collection