Monopoly is one of the most popular and enduring of all American board games. It is played on a four-sided board. The board is bordered with small squares, most of which are designated as streets in Atlantic City, New Jersey, or as railroads and utility companies. Game pieces include tokens that represent each player, two dice, thirty-two houses, twelve hotels, Chance and Community Chest cards, a Title Deed for every property, and fake money. The game's objective involves a combination of free enterprise and cutthroat competition. Players purchase, build on, and rent out as many properties as possible. The winner is the player who becomes the wealthiest by buying and controlling the most properties; constructing hotels and houses; charging rental fees; handling mortgages, utilities, and interest—and, finally, bankrupting all opponents.

Ironically, Monopoly was devised during the Great Depression (1929–41; see entry under 1930s—The Way We Lived in...