Her father, James Magie, was an early force in the Republican Party, having traveled with Abraham Lincoln as he debated Stephen Douglas. And with Monopoly, understanding the story of its true inventor provides a fascinating window into not only one woman’s life and times, but how the game that sits in many closets isn’t necessarily what we thought it was.īorn in rural Illinois in 1866, Magie lived a highly unusual life. Magie is one of countless women whose contributions were minimized, largely ignored, or in some cases, deliberately erased. Monopoly’s roots begin not with Darrow, but with a woman-a progressive named Elizabeth Magie. He sold the game to Parker Brothers, not only saving him and the company from financial ruin, but becoming wealthy-a Cinderella story made of cardboard and real-life Monopoly money. Often tucked into the game’s box, the tale revolved around Charles Darrow, an unemployed man in Philadelphia who dreamed up the game in the 1930s. For generations, the story of Monopoly’s Depression-era origin story delighted fans.
