A History of U.S. Monopolies

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Series Antitrust Guide

Antitrust Law and Enforcement

1. Antitrust: What is antitrust, how does it work, major examples
2. Understanding antitrust
3. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
4. Clayton Antitrust Act
5. Sherman Antitrust Act
6. Robinson-Patman Act

Types of antitrust violations

1. How and why companies become monopolies
2. Discriminatory monopolies
3. Price discrimination
4. Predatory pricing
5. Bid rigging
6. Price makers
7. Cartels

1. Monopoly markets
2. Monopoly competition
3. What are the characteristics of a monopoly market?
4. Monopoly markets and perfect competition
5. What are examples of monopoly markets?
6. History of monopolies in the United States

Current articles

1. Comparing monopolies and oligopolies
2. Oligopoly
3. Duopoly
4. What are examples of oligopolies today?

A monopoly is a company that dominates a field or industry, meaning that the company controls most of the market share for a good or service, there is little competition, and consumers have no substantial substitutes for the goods or services that the company offers.

In colonial America, monopoly industries existed long before the United States was born. The large-scale public works projects needed to build the New World depended in many ways on large corporations.

These companies were given monopoly contracts by colonial governors. Even after American independence, many of the colonial remnants continued to function thanks to the contracts and land they held.

Key Takeaways

• Monopolies control most or all of the market share in an industry or sector.
• Some of the most famous monopolies in American history include Standard Oil, American Tobacco, U. S. Steel, and AT& T.
• The Shaman's monopoly law has banned trusts and exclusive bonds that add "unreasonable" restrictions to between state and international markets.
• Today, hig h-tech companies, including Meta, Amazon, and Alphabets, are being monitored for exclusive control of the hig h-tech sector.

How Did Sherman's Hammer Impact U.S. Monopolies?

The Shaman's monopoly law was established in 1890 following a public opinion against public opinion against the abuse of price operation by monopoly companies.

The law banned trusts and exclusive bonds that add "irrational" restrictions to between state and international trade. The law was a hammer that gave the federal government to shatter large companies.

Despite the enactment of the law, many domestic monopoly companies were formed over the next 50 years. At the same time, the law was used to attack several monopoly companies, but the degree of success was various. In many ways, the law tried to distinguish between "good" monopoly and "bad" monopoly companies.

At that time, an example of a "good" monopoly company was the International Harvester. The International Harvester was thought to be untouched because it produced inexpensive agricultural equipment mainly for agricultural people. On the other hand, American tobacco was suspected that at that time, at that time, to cigarettes, which had been advertised as all treatments, from asthma to menstrual cramps, were charged more than the appropriate price. American cigarettes were eventually sacrificed by government anger and broke up in 1911.

How Did Standard Oil Become a Natural Monopoly?

The oil industry tended to be called nature monopoly because of the rarity of the product. John D. Rockefeller and their partners, the founder and chairman of the Standard Oil, have built an exclusive system using both the rarity of oil and the revenue obtained from the oil.

The business practices and suspicious tactics used by Rockefeller to establish a standard oil are blushed by Enron guys. However, the completed product did not damage the economy and the environment as the industry before Rockefeller monopolized.

In the dawn of the petroleum industry, many competing oil companies were excited to find a mining source, indiscriminately mined, and pumped them on rivers and ground without properly processing waste. In addition, the cost was reduced by using a poor pipeline that is easy to leak.

Before the standard oil seized 90 % of oil production and distribution in the United States, the company learned how to make money on industrial waste, and Vaseline was one of the new products developed.

However, the advantage of being an monopoly company like a standard oil was revealed only after building a nationwide infrastructure for petroleum distribution. Standard oil could avoid dependence on trains and fluctuations on trains, depending on the size and size of resources.

The scale of the standard oil has made it possible to start projects that small competitors can never start. In that sense, it was as beneficial as the state government regulated by the state government to develop the United States into an industrial state.

Eventually, the Standard Oil was dissolved in 1911, but the government has noticed that monopoly companies have built a reliable infrastructure and provide lower cost services to a wider consumer than competitors. The lesson affected the government's decision that acknowledged the monopoly of AT & amp; T until 1982.

As the history of standard oil shows, the government protects consumers, especially if monopoly companies can provide stable hig h-quality products at reasonable prices, especially when the starting cost of competitors is astronomical. As long as it can be regulated to do, the survival of monopoly companies can be recognized.

What Are the Limitations of a Monopoly?

When J. P. Morgan acquired his steel company and merged with U. S. Steel, Andrew Carnegie walked on a long way to monopolize the steel industry and created a huge company approaching standard oil.

At that time, U. S. Steel dominated about 60 % of steel production, but competitors were more hungry, innovative and more efficient. Eventually, U. S. Steel was stagnant by small and mediu m-sized enterprises with market share.

One of the reasons for the decline was that U. S. steel was composed of many subgroups, so it was not possible to respond to much higher cost efficiency like continuous casting. In addition, the price of protection tariffs on foreig n-produced steel was able to increase the price, which had a negative effect on customers. In this way, U. S. Steel's monopoly indicates the exclusive limits of lack of competition in an industry.

How Did U.S. Antitrust Regulations Evolve?

After the monopoly of sugar, cigarettes, petroleum and meat processing collapsed, large companies no longer know where to go. There was no clear guidelines for what was an exclusive business practice. < SPAN> However, the advantage of being an monopoly company like a standard oil has been revealed only after building a nationwide infrastructure for petroleum distribution. Standard oil could avoid dependence on trains and fluctuations on trains, depending on the size and size of resources.

The scale of the standard oil has made it possible to start projects that small competitors can never start. In that sense, it was as beneficial as the state government regulated by the state government to develop the United States into an industrial state.

Eventually, the Standard Oil was dissolved in 1911, but the government has noticed that monopoly companies have built a reliable infrastructure and provide lower cost services to a wider consumer than competitors. The lesson affected the government's decision that acknowledged the monopoly of AT & amp; T until 1982.

As the history of standard oil shows, the government protects consumers, especially if monopoly companies can provide stable hig h-quality products at reasonable prices, especially when the starting cost of competitors is astronomical. As long as it can be regulated to do, the survival of monopoly companies can be recognized.

When J. P. Morgan acquired his steel company and merged with U. S. Steel, Andrew Carnegie walked on a long way to monopolize the steel industry and created a huge company approaching standard oil.

At that time, U. S. Steel dominated about 60 % of steel production, but competitors were more hungry, innovative and more efficient. Eventually, U. S. Steel was stagnant by small and mediu m-sized enterprises with market share.

End of a Monopoly Era?

One of the reasons for the decline was that U. S. steel was composed of many subgroups, so it was not possible to respond to much higher cost efficiency like continuous casting. In addition, the price of protection tariffs on foreig n-produced steel was able to increase the price, which had a negative effect on customers. In this way, U. S. Steel's monopoly indicates the exclusive limits of lack of competition in an industry.

After the monopoly of sugar, cigarettes, petroleum and meat processing collapsed, large companies no longer know where to go. There was no clear guidelines for what was an exclusive business practice. However, the advantage of being an monopoly company like a standard oil was revealed only after building a nationwide infrastructure for petroleum distribution. Standard oil could avoid dependence on trains and fluctuations on trains, depending on the size and size of resources.

AT&T

The scale of the standard oil has made it possible to start projects that small competitors can never start. In that sense, it was as beneficial as the state government regulated by the state government to develop the United States into an industrial state.

Eventually, the Standard Oil was dissolved in 1911, but the government has noticed that monopoly companies have built a reliable infrastructure and provide lower cost services to a wider consumer than competitors. The lesson affected the government's decision that acknowledged the monopoly of AT & amp; T until 1982.

As the history of standard oil shows, the government protects consumers, especially if monopoly companies can provide stable hig h-quality products at reasonable prices, especially when the starting cost of competitors is astronomical. As long as it can be regulated to do, the survival of monopoly companies can be recognized.

Microsoft

When J. P. Morgan acquired his steel company and merged with U. S. Steel, Andrew Carnegie walked on a long way to monopolize the steel industry and created a huge company approaching standard oil.

At that time, U. S. Steel dominated about 60 % of steel production, but competitors were more hungry, innovative and more efficient. Eventually, U. S. Steel was stagnant by small and mediu m-sized enterprises with market share.

One of the reasons for the decline was that U. S. steel was composed of many subgroups, so it was not possible to respond to much higher cost efficiency like continuous casting. In addition, the price of protection tariffs on foreig n-produced steel was able to increase the price, which had a negative effect on customers. In this way, U. S. Steel's monopoly indicates the exclusive limits of lack of competition in an industry.

Meta (Formerly Facebook)

After the monopoly of sugar, cigarettes, petroleum and meat processing collapsed, large companies no longer know where to go. There was no clear guidelines for what was an exclusive business practice.

The s o-called "malicious" monopoly companies' founders and management were furious at the unforgettable approach to the International Harvester. They argued that the Shaman law was not allowed to a specific business or product, and that the execution should be universal, not like a lightning that attacks a specific business.

In response, the Craiton Law was introduced in 1914. The Clayton method has some specific cases, such as a shaman's hammer. Among them include a specific M & AMP; A, which substantially reduced the competition in the market, the collective sales, and market competition.

Following the Clayton Law, a law for government screening was enacted one after another before larg e-scale merger and acquisition were finalized.

Apple

Opening tends to occur when new products and services, such as petroleum, telephone service, computer software, and now social media, appear.

These technological innovation made it a bit clear what companies should do, but hardly reduced the violation of ant i-trade law. The major league was investigated in the 1920s, but escaped by claiming that it was not classified as a sport because it was a sport instead of a business.

The last great monopoly company in the United States was born at the first century, and one lasted for more than a century. Others are very shor t-lived, and some are still operating today, as they are taken in order of age.

Invested Pedia / Alice Morgan

The governmen t-supported monopoly company AT & amp; T (T) was also an essential public project. As in the standard oil, the monopoly of AT & amp; T has increased the efficiency of the industry. At & amp; T could fix the price instead of fixing the price.

What Is a Monopoly in American History?

The dismantling of AT & amp; T in the 1980s has created a babybelet in each region. Eventually, many babybels merged and began to expand their scale to provide services in a wider area.

The dissolution of at & amp; T may have caused a rapid decline in service quality and further soaring to many customers. But now, the descendants of the Baby Bell are now finding a natural balance of the market, without rewriting the sherman hammer.

Why Are Monopolies Bad?

In the 1990s, a trial was issued in which Microsoft abused the status of a s o-called no n-forced monopoly company. There is an unpleasant monopoly because people do not search for alternatives due to brand royalties and consumers' indifference.

Like U. S. Steel, Microsoft could not indefinitely dominate a market in a given business sector due to innovative domestic and international competition. After all, Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) never actually broke up, even after losing antitrust lawsuits throughout the 1990s.

Is Amazon a Monopoly?

Microsoft's monopoly chipped away as rival operating systems emerged and rival software, especially open source software, threatened the bundled business model that Microsoft had built. Microsoft also failed to gain an advantage in the Internet browser wars. For this reason, the antitrust ruling now seems moot.

In today's world, big tech companies are the new monopoly powers, and nowhere is this more true than Meta Platforms, Inc. (META), formerly Facebook. As of January 2024, Meta controls three of the world's five largest social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp).

The Bottom Line

In December 2020, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued the company, alleging that it maintains a social networking monopoly through anticompetitive practices.

As part of its antitrust case, the FTC alleges that Meta did this through its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, and by imposing anticompetitive terms on software developers. Moreover, the company enjoys significant control over how personal data is shared and how advertising is allocated, raising concerns with regulators.

The FTC is seeking to break up Meta by splitting off WhatsApp and Instagram, which Meta has rejected, while saying that the case is too narrow and does not take into account other major competitors such as Apple, Microsoft, and Google's parent company Alphabet.

The Making Of Monopoly Live – A Behind The Scenes Look

In March 2024, the FTC accused tech giant Apple of dominating the smartphone market. The suit alleges that Apple engages in exclusionary practices that make it difficult for competitors to integrate with its smartphones.

For example, Android users don't have access to the same iMessage features as iPhone users, and messages aren't encrypted. The Justice Department argues that this discourages consumers from buying cheaper alternatives to Apple's smartphones.

Apple currently controls more than 65% of the U. S. smartphone market and is the world's second-largest company by market capitalization.

The crux of the issue is that Apple should make rival software work better on Apple iPhones, not make the iPhone-to-iPhone interface less user-friendly. Such restrictions are, by extension, anti-competitive and lock consumers into buying Apple products.

In recent years, Apple has faced other antitrust issues for abusing its market power in its business practices for the App Store, namely the way it monopolizes the payment system by taking a 27% cut from software developers on any purchase or subscription.

A monopoly in American history is a large corporation that dominates an industry or field, giving it the ability to control the prices of the goods and services it offers.

Many monopolies are considered good monopolies because they bring efficiency to some markets without taking advantage of consumers. Others are considered bad monopolies because they bring no real benefits to the market and inhibit fair competition.

Monopolies are bad because they dominate the market in which they operate, meaning there are no competitors. If a company has no competitors, consumers have no choice but to buy from the monopolist. Monopolies have no check on their power to inflate prices or reduce the quality of products and services.

Monopolies also lead to a lack of innovation, as there is little incentive to find new ways to make better products.

Amazon’s share of U. S. online retail sales is estimated at 40% in 2023, but even this figure may be an underestimate. That said, there are plenty of competitors for consumers to choose from in retail sales.

Amazon (AMZN) may face some scrutiny in other areas of its vast business. Its significant control over third-party sellers and suppliers could make it appear monopolistic.

In the early 1900s, anyone who suggested that governments should not have a hammer to smash big corporations would have been looked on with suspicion. But globalization and the maturation of the world economy prompted calls for the repeal of antitrust laws.

More Monopoly Games?

For years, such calls have come from economists such as Milton Friedman and former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, as well as ordinary consumers.

ALL ABOUT NEIL

But the history of government and business suggests that governments are more likely to expand the scope and power of antitrust law than to abandon such a useful weapon.

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Ruthless: Monopoly's Secret History

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For generations, Monopoly has been America's beloved board game, a love letter to unbridled capitalism and the impulses that, for better or worse, drive a free-market society. But behind the myth of the game's creation lies an untold story of theft, obsession and corporate double-dealing. Contrary to the folklore legend popularized by Parker Brothers, the secret history of Monopoly is a remarkable tale featuring radical feminists, an Atlantic City Quaker community, America's greatest gaming company, and an unemployed engineer during the Great Depression. And the true story behind the game's creation may never have come to light if not for the determination of an economics professor and a fervent anti-monopoly advocate.

Part detective novel, sharp social commentary, and pop culture celebration: Ruthless: Monopoly's Secret History tells the fascinating true story of America's favorite game.

Editor: Josh Merod

Music: DeAndre James Allen Toole

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Design/Animation Animation Director: Sean Donnelly Animation Producer: Bora Kyungmin Lee Animators: Dominic Furet, Ursula Echeverria, Mari Carlson, John Henry, John Miranda, Noah Green, Maya Puyat, Jason Gabriel, Tim Daza, Stephanie Trackman, Sheetal Tanki, Sevanna Kilman, Haunte Love

Cast: Deacon Campbell, Luella Forman, Ruby Francis, Taylor Markowitz Soren Peebles Milo York

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An Insignia Films production for American Experience. American Experience is a production of WGBH and is solely responsible for its content.

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Patrick Jagoda Gaming Scholar We played during the holidays, and it never ended well. There was always a fight. Someone was either cheating or something. It wasn't the rules, right? There was always a house rule. So my childhood was full of very intense games.

Mary Pilon, writer: We always played Monopoly on Christmas Eve. It was a tradition in our house, and it still is. As a kid, it was honestly pretty exciting not only to win the game, but to watch my younger brother be ruined as my younger sister.

Ashlyn Sparrow, game designer: It's America's game, right? It's our game. It's the game of our childhood.

Eric Zimmerman, game designer: But there's a dark side, too. It's not all rainbows and unicorns. It's a tough game, and I only win when you lose.

Bryant Simon, historian: There's a myth in America that capitalists love competition. What every company wants is a monopoly.

Patrick Jagoda, Game Scholar This story about Monopoly is full of ironies. That's what makes it so fascinating: not just the twists and turns, but the fact that it's a game about capitalism, yet designed to teach people something entirely different. Kate Raworth, Economist The mechanics written into the rules of this game were never meant to be rules. They need health warnings like on cigarette packets. You're playing a twisted version of the game.

Tom Forsythe, Games Historian: It was supposed to be a critique of capitalism, but it ended up praising it.

Kate Raworth, Economist: Compete, acquire, be ruthless, and conquer the world. It's Monopoly.

Kids opening the box and playing Monopoly Soren: Read the instructions... Someone take... take. Lula: Which piece do you want to be? Deacon: Soren: I want to be... a car. Ruby: I want to be a hat. Soren: So, Ruby, you're a banker. Milo: I want to be a banker. Soren: So... Lula: Lula: How much do I get? Soren: I think it's $500. Milo: Two 500s each, two 500s for everyone. Milo: And twenty Six of them. LULA: That's a lot of money. RUBY: I know. My goal in life is to win and beat everybody. LULA: Wow.

OFFICIAL STORY

Mary Pilon, Writer

Once upon a time, during the Great Depression, there was a man named Charles Darrow. He was unemployed, like millions of Americans. He had a great light, a great Eureka moment, and Monopoly was born. He was told that no one would buy the game, because it was about property and money. But persevering, he ended up at Parker Brothers. They decided to sell the game, and it became a huge bestseller, saving him and Parker Brothers from the brink of ruin. And they all lived happily ever after. (Laughs)

Mary Pilon, Writer:

There's just one problem with that story.

Ralph - The Birth of Antimonopoly

San Francisco, 1973

Patrick Jagoda, Game Scholar This story about Monopoly is full of ironies. I mean, that's the appeal of Monopoly. Not only are there twists and turns, but there's the fact that it's a game about capitalism, but it was created to teach people something completely different.

Kate Raworth, Economist: The mechanics in the rules of the game were never meant to be rules. They need health warnings like on cigarette packets. You're playing a twisted version of the game.

Tom Forsythe, Game Historian: It was supposed to criticize capitalism, but it ended up glorifying it.

Kate Raworth, Economist: Compete, acquire, be ruthless, and conquer the world. That's Monopoly.

Children opening the box and playing Monopoly Soren: Read the instructions... Someone take... take. Lula: Which piece do you want to be? Deacon: Soren: I'm... a car. Ruby: I want to be a hat. Soren: So Ruby's a banker. Milo: I want to be a banker. Soren: So. Lula: Lula: How much do we get? Soren: I think it'll be $500. Milo: Two 500s each, two 500s for everyone. Milo: And six $20s. Lula: That's a lot of money. Ruby: I know. My goal in life is to win and beat everybody. Lula: Wow. Official Story

Mary Pilon, Writer Once upon a time, during the Great Depression, there was a man named Charles Darrow. He was unemployed, like millions of Americans. He had a great light, a great Eureka moment, and Monopoly was born. He was told that no one would buy the game. It was about property and money. But persevering, he ended up at Parker Brothers. They decided to sell the game, and it became a huge bestseller, saving him and Parker Brothers from the brink of ruin. And they all lived happily ever after (laughs).

Mary Pilon, Writer: There's just one problem with that story.

Ralph - The Birth of Antimonopoly

San Francisco, 1973 Patrick Jagoda, Game Scholar This story about Monopoly is full of ironies. I mean, that's the charm of Monopoly. Not only are there all the twists and turns, but there's also the fact that it's a game about capitalism, but it was created to teach people something completely different.

Kate Raworth, Economist The rectary of this game is not intended for a cigarette, but it is a bit of a rejected version of the game. Economist: Appears, a monopoly, and a rube of the world. I want to be a hat: I want to be a banker: 500, a ruler. Ruler That's a lot of money. Ruby: I know. My goal in life is to win and beat everybody. Lula: Wow.

Official Story

Mary Pilon, Writer

Once upon a time, during the Great Depression, there was a man named Charles Darrow. He was unemployed, like millions of Americans. He had a great light, a great Eureka moment, and Monopoly was born. He was told that no one would buy the game. It was about property and money. But persevering, he ended up at Parker Brothers. They decided to sell the game, and it became a huge bestseller, saving him and Parker Brothers from the brink of ruin. And they all lived happily ever after. (Laughs)

Mary Pilon, Writer: There's just one problem with that story.

Ralph - The Birth of Antimonopoly

San Francisco, 1973

Mary Pilon Writer In the early 1970s, Ralph Anspach was a professor of economics at San Francisco State University. Ralph was a fervent anti-monopoly. He thought that monopolies were the root of all our problems in the country, that they created an imbalance of power. Because at this point, the OPEC oil cartel is dominating the headlines.

Tristan Donovan Writer OPEC, the successor to the oil monopoly, controls the oil supply. They raise prices, there are lines at gas stations, and the economy is in tatters. Absolute crisis of 1973.

Patrick Jagoda Gaming Scholar Ralph thought that monopolies were one of the biggest forces holding back an optimal version of American capitalism. And what better way to teach people about such a complex system than to have them experience it by playing a board game?

Steve (off camera): Tell us about the board game that you invented.

Ralph Anspach, New York, 2005: It was a very hot day, the roads were a mess, and it took me about four hours to get home instead of an hour. I finally sat down to dinner, and I was bashing the oil monopolies with my X-Ray. And all of a sudden, my 8-year-old son said, "Why William? Yesterday we played Monopoly, and I won, and now you're attacking my win? I explained to them, 'You shouldn't take it personal,' and I started looking for a game that would show my anti-Monopoly side. Unfortunately, there was no such game. And so I invented Anti-Monopoly.

Mary Pilon, writer Anti-Monopoly becomes a hit in the Bay Area. It starts being sold in local stores. Patty Hearst reportedly played the game. And the game becomes a kind of counterculture icon.

Ralph Anspach, New York, 2005: The point of Anti-Monopoly was to keep the fun of Monopoly, but at the same time make it clear that when you play Monopoly, the monopolist is the bad guy. Anti-Monopoly has a message: monopolies are not a good thing in capitalism, they're its dark side.

Tristan Donovan, writer Anti-Monopoly is basically about turning the Parker Brothers game upside down. Instead of building up Monopoly, you take down Monopoly. You take down the steel monopolies and the oil monopolies. In other words, you take down the giant corporations.

Mary Pilon Lighter Ant i-Monopoly has begun to sell nationwide. Premonition of a huge hit. And one day, Ralph receives a letter. It was from a lawyer who was an agent of General Mills, who owned Parker Brothers at the time. It infringes the right to sell our games.

Ralph Anspack, New York, 2005, "Immediately remove this game from the market and discard all games on hand. Also, let's publish an advertisement that apologizes for attacking us in a newspaper. " It was enough to be scared, but I was angry that a large company would attack small companies for no good reason. So I was ready to fight.

Mary Pilon Writer Ralph is a very reasonable man, and I think some of them are from childhood.

Tristan Donovan (Writer Ralph was born in a city called Danzig. He was a Jewish. At the age of 12, his family moved to New York to escape the Nazi threat.

Mary Pilon (writer): He was in New York, a child who did not understand the words. He graduated from school and eventually obtained a doctorate.

Tristan Donovan (Writer I think this has given him like a attitude of facing a bully. If someone tries to hunt down, he fights back.

Ralph Anspack, New York, in 2005 We sold 500, 000 ant i-monopoly, but no consumer complained to us and Parker Brothers.

Is it a complaint about interviewer confusion?

Ralph Anspack, New York City, 2005: That's right. "I bought an ant i-monopoly, but I thought it was a General Mills game."

Mary Pilon writer hired a lawyer and got a counter punch. First, he sued Parker Brothers. That way, you can claim the jurisdiction of California. One of Ralph's strategy is to prove that monopoly trademarks are suspicious. So Ralph tries to find out what happened in the history of Monopoly before Parker Brothers began to sell Monopoly. < SPAN> Mary Pilon Lighter Ant i-Monopoly has begun to be sold nationwide. Premonition of a huge hit. And one day, Ralph receives a letter. It was from a lawyer who was an agent of General Mills, who owned Parker Brothers at the time. It infringes the right to sell our games.

Ralph Anspack, New York, 2005, "Immediately remove this game from the market and discard all games on hand. Also, let's publish an advertisement that apologizes for attacking us in a newspaper. " It was enough to be scared, but I was angry that a large company would attack small companies for no good reason. So I was ready to fight.

Mary Pilon Writer Ralph is a very reasonable man, and I think some of them are from childhood.

Tristan Donovan (Writer Ralph was born in a city called Danzig. He was a Jewish. At the age of 12, his family moved to New York to escape the Nazi threat.

Mary Pilon (writer): He was in New York, a child who did not understand the words. He graduated from school and eventually obtained a doctorate.

Tristan Donovan (Writer I think this has given him like a attitude of facing a bully. If someone tries to hunt down, he fights back.

Ralph Anspack, New York, in 2005 We sold 500, 000 ant i-monopoly, but no consumer complained to us and Parker Brothers.

Is it a complaint about interviewer confusion?

Ralph Anspack, New York City, 2005: That's right. "I bought an ant i-monopoly, but I thought it was a General Mills game."

Ralph Anspack, New York, in 2005 We sold 500, 000 ant i-monopoly, but no consumer complained to us and Parker Brothers.

Ralph Anspack, New York, 2005, "Immediately remove this game from the market and discard all games on hand. Also, let's publish an advertisement that apologizes for attacking us in a newspaper. " It was enough to be scared, but I was angry that a large company would attack small companies for no good reason. So I was ready to fight.

Mary Pilon Writer Ralph is a very reasonable man, and I think some of them are from childhood.

Ralph Anspack, New York, in 2005 We sold 500, 000 ant i-monopoly, but no consumer complained to us and Parker Brothers.

Mary Pilon (writer): He was in New York, a child who did not understand the words. He graduated from school and eventually obtained a doctorate.

Tristan Donovan (Writer I think this has given him like a attitude of facing a bully. If someone tries to hunt down, he fights back.

Ralph Anspack, New York, in 2005 We sold 500, 000 ant i-monopoly, but no consumer complained to us and Parker Brothers.

Is it a complaint about interviewer confusion?

Ralph Anspack, New York City, 2005: That's right. "I bought an ant i-monopoly, but I thought it was a General Mills game."

Mary Pilon writer hired a lawyer and got a counter punch. First, he sued Parker Brothers. That way, you can claim the jurisdiction of California. One of Ralph's strategy is to prove that monopoly trademarks are suspicious. So Ralph tries to find out what happened in the history of Monopoly before Parker Brothers began to sell Monopoly.

Tom Forsythe, Game Historian One day, Ralph was working from home when his son Mark came running into the office and said, "Dad! Dad! Monopoly was invented by a woman. A woman named Lizzie Maggie. Ralph said, "Wait, who's Lizzie Maggie?"

Lizzie Maggie / Early Board Games

Mary Pilon, Author Elizabeth Maggie was born in Macomb, Illinois, in 1866. Her family was very political, her father was a very influential newspaper owner and one of the early founders of the Republican Party. She was with Abraham Lincoln in his debates with Stephen Douglas. She was exposed to a lot of big ideas. And in a time when women were not given many opportunities in public life, she grabbed every opportunity she could. She was an actress and very politically active.

Ashlyn Sparrow, Game Designer: She was a writer, she produced plays, and she invented a way for typewriters to move paper more efficiently.

Patrick Jagoda, Games Scholar: I think Lizzie Maggie is a performance artist in a way. It's really about how you categorize her. She's an engineer, a poet, a writer, an activist, and a staunch feminist.

Ashlyn Sparrow, Games Designer: She's doing everything that a lot of women at the time weren't allowed to do, couldn't do. She was really pushing the envelope.

Chicago, 1906

Patrick Jagoda, Games Scholar: In 1906, she's living in Chicago and she's taking out a newspaper ad as a young female American slave. She's selling herself to the highest bidder, and she actually gets offers. But the idea is totally performance art. She's trying to show how low wages are for women compared to men, and how difficult it is to be an unmarried woman, especially in America.

Kate Raworth, Economist: She was a social rebel in many ways, using shocking performances and plays to challenge society with counterintuitive ideas.

PHIL OVERNESS, FORMER PARKER BROTHERS EXECUTIVE: In the Gilded Age, the 1890s and early 1900s, when capitalism was very unregulated, if you had a dominant position in the market, you could have a say in price and availability.

KATE RAWERS, ECONOMIST These tycoons, the billionaires, controlled American industry and created monopolies in their fields.

Philuvanes, Parker Brothers executive: The wealthy people hired a lot of servants, had a luxurious house, and others had a hard time living.

Patrick Jagoda, Game scholar: Lizzy Maggie has witnessed poverty and inequality everywhere, even in the early 20th century before the Great Depression. And most of the poverty is organized, focusing on the monopoly of the land, that is, people owning land and can bring out enormous profits from the working class.

Mary Pilon (writer Lizzy Maggie is the gap in income, the rich are more rich, and the poor become more poor, and become Henry George's enthusiastic followers.

Mary Pilon (writer): At that time, Henry George was a great influential speech and thinker. He published a book called "Progress and Poverty" and became a big bestseller.

Christopher England (historian): His book has been estimated to have sold 5 million books in his life.

Mary Pilon (writer): He was really interested in land, landowners, property, ownership, and how to tax.

Christopher England (historian): George, as many people before and after, say, "The land is not made by someone. It is a gift of God. And that's for us. "

Phil Obanes, Parker Brothers former executives We believe that American Dream is a home. As was the case in the 1890s, it was out of reach for most people. According to Henry George, the landlord was a devil.

Christopher England (historian): He believes that rising rent and real estate value is a culprit. His solution is that his supporters are ultimately called "single taxes."

Mary Pilon (writer single tax.

Phil Obanes, Parker Brothers executive: A single taxation

Patrick Jagoda, Game scholar: Human tax

Patrick Jagoda, gaming scholar: This is the idea of ​​Georgeist, which is substantially c o-owned by taxing at a high level of land and does not tax other things. For George, this was not an ant i-capitalist claim, but a fair problem. It was to make the competitive conditions fair.

Kate Rowas (Economist Lizzy Maggie wants to clarify Henry George's claims. Nobody reads political criticism. She has a genius idea and see it through games. I wanted to see it.

In 1904, Patrick Jagoda Gama, Lizzy Maggie obtained a board game patent by a woman in American history in the "landlord's game".

Kate Lawath, Economist: Land Lord's Game "pierces political claims with humor. So she got "Lord Blue Blood". Prohibition of trespassing, going to prison. Patriot house, beggar court, Gee with railway, Slam Van Trolie. Working on the mother's earth will generate wages.

Eric Jimman, Game Designer: The interesting thing about landlord games is that there are two sets of rules.

Tristan Donovan (One writer indicates how bad the monopoly is, and in this version, players compete to be the last one. Like the current monopoly.

Kate Lawath, Economist: But she has also introduced a second rule. Instead of paying rent to landlords of land you are now off, the rent will actually enter the national treasury. R e-invest in the community to create public goods, public works, public education, etc. And, of course, this changes everything.

Eric Jimman (Game Designer Our traditional pleasure, such as overwhelming, dominance, and becoming a winner, is probably neglected, and how the economy and social structure are structured. Perhaps the critical point, such as how it could be structured, was given priority.

I understand why Patrick Jagoda Gaming scholar Elizabeth Maggie tried to make a landowner game to teach people about single tax. This is because the game is a powerful way to inform, practice, and experience new rules.

Children who do monopoly at the round table.

Assistant festival: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, what is that? Ruby: St. Charles Place Milo: It's mine.

Patrick Jagoda, Game scholars: When playing the game, we sit for a couple of hours and get into different types, different roles, and different rules.

Lindsey Grace, Game scholar: playing in a game means that you can try out what you can't do without cost.

Children playing in monopoly

DiCon You have been selected as the chairman. Pay to each player by $ 50 each! (All cheers) Oh, I understand.

Eric Jimman (Game Designer Play is to play with such a structure. While playing with pieces on the board, while playing in the player's head and in a social space. Connect everything.

Children playing in monopoly

Rula: I need 100 more. Milo: No, I gave 100 already. I stole my 100 sheets ... Rula: I had two Rula: 100 and gave me one. Then I noticed that there were 300 debts and gave 500. Milo: I passed GO ...

Eric Jimman, Game Designer: We enter the system of rules, resulting in creative, social, and chaotic experiences.

Children playing in monopoly

Milo: No! Ruby: What a calm. Milo: I'm sorry!

Lizzy Maggie, like Eric Jimman, many game designers, I think Lizzy Maggie recognized the power of the board game to the audience.

Ralp h-In the middle of hunting

The Mary Pilon Writer Monopoly board is a symbolic image, its design is universal, and when you see the Lizzy Maggie landlord game, you can see the origin of the monopoly. One of her first patents when Ralph Anspack began to find out who Lizzy Maggie was, was her 1904 patent. With this discovery, Ralph's case has completely changed, and from the date of 1904, where did this game go? And that was the beginning of a detective story that would occupy most of Ralph's life.

1975, San Francisco, California

Ralph Anspack, New York, those who seem to have stolen this game in 2005 are attacking me. It's the game I invented, and my game is different from their games, but they are aiming for me.

Mary Pilon Writer Ralph knows that Lizzy Maggie has been patented in 1904 and updated in 1924. So it's strange that Charles Darrow was able to get a monopoly patent in 1935. < SPAN> Eric Jimman (Game Designer Play is to play with such a structure. In addition to playing with pieces on the board, in the player's head and in a social space You connect everything while playing.

Children playing in monopoly

Rula: I need 100 more. Milo: No, I gave 100 already. I stole my 100 sheets ... Rula: I had two Rula: 100 and gave me one. Then I noticed that there were 300 debts and gave 500. Milo: I passed GO ...

Eric Jimman, Game Designer: We enter the system of rules, resulting in creative, social, and chaotic experiences.

Children playing in monopoly

Milo: No! Ruby: What a calm. Milo: I'm sorry!

Lizzy Maggie, like Eric Jimman, many game designers, I think Lizzy Maggie recognized the power of the board game to the audience.

Ralp h-In the middle of hunting

The Mary Pilon Writer Monopoly board is a symbolic image, its design is universal, and when you see the Lizzy Maggie landlord game, you can see the origin of the monopoly. One of her first patents when Ralph Anspack began to find out who Lizzy Maggie was, was her 1904 patent. With this discovery, Ralph's case has completely changed, and from the date of 1904, where did this game go? And that was the beginning of a detective story that would occupy most of Ralph's life.

1975, San Francisco, California

Ralph Anspack, New York, those who seem to have stolen this game in 2005 are attacking me. It's the game I invented, and my game is different from their games, but they are aiming for me.

Mary Pilon Writer Ralph knows that Lizzy Maggie has been patented in 1904 and updated in 1924. So it's strange that Charles Darrow was able to get a monopoly patent in 1935. Eric Jimman (Game Designer Play is to play with such a structure. While playing with pieces on the board, while playing in the player's head and in a social space. Connect everything.

Children playing in monopoly

Rula: I need 100 more. Milo: No, I gave 100 already. I stole my 100 sheets ... Rula: I had two Rula: 100 and gave me one. Then I noticed that there were 300 debts and gave 500. Milo: I passed GO ...

Eric Jimman, Game Designer: We enter the system of rules, resulting in creative, social, and chaotic experiences.

Children playing in monopoly

Milo: No! Ruby: What a calm. Milo: I'm sorry!

Lizzy Maggie, like Eric Jimman, many game designers, I think Lizzy Maggie recognized the power of the board game to the audience.

Ralp h-In the middle of hunting

The Mary Pilon Writer Monopoly board is a symbolic image, its design is universal, and when you see the Lizzy Maggie landlord game, you can see the origin of the monopoly. One of her first patents when Ralph Anspack began to find out who Lizzy Maggie was, was her 1904 patent. With this discovery, Ralph's case has completely changed, and from the date of 1904, where did this game go? And that was the beginning of a detective story that would occupy most of Ralph's life.

1975, San Francisco, California

Ralph Anspack, New York, those who seem to have stolen this game in 2005 are attacking me. It's the game I invented, and my game is different from their games, but they are aiming for me.

Mary Pilon Writer Ralph knows that Lizzy Maggie has been patented in 1904 and updated in 1924. So it's strange that Charles Darrow was able to get a monopoly patent in 1935.

Mary Pilon, Writer Ralph and his lawyer put out an ad to find people who testify that they played Monopoly before 1935. He wants to find out how Lizzie McGee's "landlady game" changed into the game we know today. To do that, he travels the country and talks to people.

Mary Pilon, Writer: He goes into people's houses and they start taking boards out of their closets. This is his key piece of evidence.

Ralph Anspach, New York, 2005: When I found the folk game, the people who played with homemade boards, I thought I could win the case, but my lawyer said, Hey Ralph, you're not there yet. Maybe Darrow invented it from scratch, and sometimes it's a parallel invention. Where did Parker Brothers Darrow's Monopoly come from?

The Evolution of Folk Games

Tristan Donovan, Writer Until the 1800s, most board games were folk games. No one owned them, and anyone could play them however they wanted, like folk music. Then in the 19th century, boxed, mass-produced games started appearing. Monopoly was, in a sense, the last folk game.

University of Pennsylvania, 1910

Tom Forsythe (game historian): Shortly after inventing the Landlady Game, Lizzie Magie began sharing it.

Mary Pilon, Writer: One of them is Scott Nearing, an economics professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and the game begins to spread on college campuses.

Tristan Donovan, Writer: People started copying it and sharing it, and no one really knew where it came from or remembered the name, so it started being called Monopoly or Finance or Business or whatever.

Mary Pilon, Writer: Actually, a few people are selling their own versions: A few people in Fort Worth and Indianapolis, among others, actually sell versions of this game, and the folk game continues to spread in communities up and down the East Coast.

Tristan Donovan, Writer: As it spreads, people adapt it to reflect their own interests. One of the first things that gets lost is Magee's kind of single tax rule.

Tom Four Sise (Game History): Remember that this is not a monopoly but vice versa in a single tax version game. Instead of giving one human wealth, it gave the whole community wealth.

Phil Obanes, Parker Brothers executive: Of course, it was boring for players. Because players want to win when playing games.

Tom Four Sise, Game Historic: The rules of the single tax georgist type devised by Lizi were not popular.

Tristan Donovan, Writer: But the game spread, and people continued to change the rules for their convenience. Then, it spent 30 years like a former folk game. Eventually, a quaker teacher moved to Atlantic City, and she introduced the game to the local quaker community.

Atlantic City, New Jersey, 1920s

In the late 1920s Mary Pilon Writer, Atlantic City's quakers were playing folk games. So they put Atlantic City's real estate on the game board. Atlantic City at the time was a very isolated city, and quakers were reflected.

Looking at the boards of Bryant Simon and historian Monopoly, the first two properties, Baltic and Mediterraneanians, were isolated in the town. And probably not surprising. They are the cheapest properties on the board. Looking at a light blue property, for example, Oriental Avenue was an area with relatively simple boarding houses. Many of them were loved by Jews under the middle stream.

Bryant Simon (historian): But when I turned the board and reached a yellow property or a green property, they were always established, more livable, wealthy areas of the city. And the highest place in Atlantic City is Board Walk. Here, the immigrant I and the II have come to show off the success in the United States by having blacks push the boardwalk. We believe in this kind of illusion that isolation is a southern phenomenon, but Atlantic City is actually a larger country, and the Park Place and the promenade are perfect examples.

Mary Pilon Writer Atlantic City's Kevils' communities have inadvertently created snapshots and class snapshots in one of the most popular recreational areas in the United States in the 1920s.

Tom Four Sise (Game History): Finally, Ralph discovers this Atlantic City version of the monopoly and realizes that Charles Darrow would not have invented the game.

Ralph Anspach, New York, 2005: A lot of people had played the game, but they didn't get a hint of the missing link between the folk game and Parker Brothers Monopoly.

Mary Pilon, Writer Finally, one of the early players says the people you really should talk to are Charles and Olive Todd.

Ralph Anspach, New York, 2005: A certain Charles Todd. He introduced the game developed by the Quakers in Atlantic City. He introduced it to Charles Darrow. I went to Augusta, Georgia, and met Charles and Esther Todd, and they said the Darrows were really annoying.

Mary Pilon, Writer One night in the early 1930s, the Todds invited Charles and Esther Darrow to their home for dinner.

Tristan Donovan, Writer The Todds introduced the Darrows to a game called "Monopoly," and the Darrows loved it. A few days later, Charles Darrow got in touch...

Mary Pilon, Writer That Monopoly game was so good I wish someone would write the rules.

Ralph Anspach, New York, 2005 Todd said he wasn't very keen on it, but he did it.

Mary Pilon, writer Charles Todd has his secretary write the rules

Ralph Anspach, New York, 2005: So he gave him the rules. Then he didn't see him for a while.

Tristan Donovan, writer: "All contact just stopped: All contact just stopped. It was strange for the Todds, like, did we do something to upset them? Then one day Charles Todd was passing by the local bank...

Ralph Anspach, New York, 2005: He saw an ad in the bank.

Tristan Donovan, writer: Come to this event, Charles Darrow is introducing everyone to his great new game, Monopoly.

Ralph Anspach, New York, 2005: He said Charlie Todd was furious. I asked him if he'd seen the Darrows after that, and he said no. When they saw me, they'd go right across the street or somewhere else.

The True Story of Charles Darrow

Mary Pilon Writer If you wanted to publish board games in America, your first stop would be Parker Brothers in Salem, Massachusetts.

In the late 19th century of Tristan Donovan writer, all board games were produced in New England and were considered a bit sinful. Games for children needed a moral element. It had to be a teaching material, not just a play.

Phil Oveness, Parker Brothers executive: The first important board game published in the United States was "Condominium of Happiness", symbolizing that the game should be moral and educational. 。

Tristan Donovan (one of the big changes was George Parker. He launched a game company called Parker Brothers and emphasized that this is not an educational tool, entertainment.

Thanks to Mary Pilon Writer George Parker's technological innovation, Parker Brothers has become the industry's largest company. But it wasn't that there was no failure, and he was bothered by it.

Philuvanes, Parker Brothers executive: In the early 1900s, Parker Brothers had a license from London and started selling in Japan.

Patrick Jagoda, Game scholar: And this worked for several years. I was able to sell it as a game that women could play as well as men. In other words, this was a truly commo n-general game.

Fill Ovanes, Parker Brothers former executive: Unfortunately for Parker Brothers, the same tools could not be sold under the general name of table tennis.

Patrick Jagoda, Game scholar: And this difference between pin g-pong and table tennis has hindered the market and lost pin g-pong monopolies. Parker Bros. has lost many times in a huge game. I lost in pin g-pongs and lost on Tiddledy Winks.

Phil Obanes, Parker Brothers executive: George Parker, both pin g-pong and Tidi Winks could not be controlled, and the worse was Mahjong. Many people don't know, but Mahjong in the 1920s was the biggest game boom in the United States.

When the Mary Pilon Writer's Great Depression began, Parker Brothers did not work as a company. Robert Burton, the so n-i n-law of George Parker, just took over the company.

Tristan Donovan (Writer Robert Burton was a competent businessman, but it was a terrible situation for any business.

Tom Forsythe, game historian: Parker Brothers is in a really bad situation. They're laying off employees and may actually go bankrupt. And then Burton hears about a game from Philadelphia invented by a local guy named Charles Darrow that's actually going pretty well.

Phil Orbanes, former Parker Brothers executive: Charles Darrow was a heating repairman in the early 1930s, fixing steam radiators. But during the Great Depression, he lost his job like millions of other Americans.

Mary Pilon, author: He has a wife and two kids, and one of them has pretty advanced health problems. He needs to go to a special school, and the Darrows can't afford it. So he needs money, and he's in a really, really hurry.

Phil Orbanes, former Parker Brothers executive: Charles Darrow starts making copies of Monopoly by hand.

Tom Forsythe, game historian: He used a real round table that he had. The first Monopoly board he made was actually a giant circle.

Phil Orbanes, former Parker Brothers executive: But then he gradually automated the process.

Tom Forsythe, game historian: Darrow actually had professional artists do the artwork for the boards.

Phil Orbanes, former Parker Brothers executive: He gave the game its "everyman's touch" to look like something more comfortable, attractive, and simple. So Charles Darrow produced 500 in the summer of 1934.

Tristan Donovan, writer: He basically self-published, making a few sets with the money he had, selling them, making a few more sets with the money he made. He really worked hard to make this business work.

TRISTAN DONOVAN, WRITER Charles Darrow goes to all the big game manufacturers, including Parker Brothers. At first he's turned down. They look at the game and say it's a game about taking out a mortgage, building a house, building a hotel. A really complicated game for that time.

TRISTANY DONOVAN, WRITER So basically, everyone says no. Eventually he goes to Wanamaker, a big department store in Philadelphia, and convinces them to stock the game.

PHIL OBERNESS, former Parker Brothers executive: And Darrow gets a chance to go to a few other stores in Philadelphia and FAO Schwarz, a big toy store here in New York. By Christmas 1934, Darrow had made a second printing of 1, 000 copies and sold out.

Tristan Donovan Writer Charles Darrow has been paying attention to Parker Brothers and other game manufacturers, and has been increasing sales as much as he thinks.

Mary Pilon (Writer Robert Burton has already refused Darrow, but now invited him to New York to buy his game.

Tristan Donovan (Writer Robert Burton said to Charles Daro, "Is this your game? 100 % of your game? Charles Darrow replied," Yes, of course, "and they do it. Signed and started the release of Monopoly.

Phi l-Ovanes, former Parker Brothers executive: Parker Brothers acquired Monopoly in March 1935, moving the heavens and earth around June 1 to print the first 10, 000 copies. And this game sold a lot.

Tom Four Sise (Game History): But the fact that Monopoly might actually be a hit made Burton anxious. Parker Brothers did not want to lose monopoly as if he had lost Mahjong. In other words, Burton realized that he had to do something.

Patrick Jagoda Gaming scholar Parker Brothers writes a letter in Charles Darrow and asks for monopoly.

Mary Pilon Writer's dear Burton, the history of monopoly is really simple. At that time, I was unemployed and I needed something to kill time, so I made a very poor game just to entertain myself. "

Mary Pilon writer "At a later date, my friends made a phone call, and at that time I played the game that had no name. One of them asked me to make a copy for him, so $ 4 Is more than a monopoly.

Patrick Jagoda Gaming scholar Charles Daro is a chara man. (But for Parker Brothers, that doesn't matter, and if you can sell a story of origin to consumers, you will be more likely to accept him as a creator. Many people can sympathize with the transition to the layer, so if there is an appropriate star t-an d-pass, it may be enough to stimulate the imagination of the masses.

Monopoly in the Great Depression

Patrick Jagoda Game scholars are noteworthy that this game was popular in the late Great Depression. Why do people who have been in poverty for years want to play games to build wealth? I think one of the reasons is the fulfillment of desire. In the midst of the Great Depression or thereafter, there is more fantasy that you can accumulate a large amount of wealth in the position of power, even though you know that you can never do it in your life?

Ashlin Sparrow, Game Designer: Monopoly is a typical American game from how to play. Regardless of race, religion, or belief, everyone starts with the same amount.

Lindsey Grace, Game scholar: Everyone has a fair opportunity, and if you hit Go, you will get $ 200, and everyone has a chance to buy.

Kate Lawathy (Economicist Monopoly has a very wrong feeling that "I must have started in my skills, must be my skills, must be my efforts."

Archive of men playing in monopoly.

"I caught John. It's $ 100."

Kate Rowas, Economist, in real life, we don't start with the same start line.

Ashlin Sparrow Game Designer Monopolies can easily imagine that you can achieve your goals, achieve your vision, and start your business. There is no need to think about what kind of appearance you are, where you came from, different classes, different races, different gender, and different sexual expressions. Right? That's a problem, the myth that monopoly keeps pushing.

Monopoly monopoly

New York, 1936

Tristan Donovan writer Monopoly quickly succeeds. Orders are flooded. Creating a game can't keep up, and even if you increase the factory shift, you can't catch up. It hit the timing and suddenly everyone wanted it.

Phil Obanes, former Parker Brothers executive: In 1936, the game was the largest number of Parker Brothers, literally 250, 000 to 1. 8 million.

Tristan Donovan Writer Board Game Game Industry is the biggest success in the history. < SPAN> Patrick Jagoda Gama Game scholar is noteworthy that this game was popular in the Great Depression. Why do people who have been in poverty for years want to play games to build wealth? I think one of the reasons is the fulfillment of desire. In the midst of the Great Depression or thereafter, there is more fantasy that you can accumulate a large amount of wealth in the position of power, even though you know that you can never do it in your life?

Ashlin Sparrow, Game Designer: Monopoly is a typical American game from how to play. Regardless of race, religion, or belief, everyone starts with the same amount.