Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library

Game of the States Board Game
1960 copyright
Milton Bradley Company
USA: Massachusetts, Springfield
Paper, ink, cardboard, wood, plastic
box: 1 1/2 in x 19 in x 9 1/2 in
Gift of Mrs. John Willey
2006.026.2a-?

Game of the States board game in a red, white and blue striped box with a removable lid. Box top reads, "Game of the States" in the red stripe and "Who Sells the Most / From Coast to Coast?" in the blue stripe. In the center, in the white stripe are several multi-color illustrations of people representing products from Oregon, California, North Dakota, Texas, Iowa, Virginia and Maine. In the blue stripe are illustrations of Alaska and Hawaii. A gray vertical strip at left names the game's maker, "Milton Bradley Company," and reads, "For / Ages / 7 to 14." The instructions on how to play the game are printed inside the box lid. The game board has a red back; the front is a map of the United States. Inside the box, the game board folds up to rest on a cardboard base. The base is printed with a timeline of U.S. history highlighting specific events. Other pieces for the game include round wooden disks colored red, blue, yellow and green (four of each, except for green, which has five), four plastic trucks (red, blue, yellow and green), a stack of yellow cards printed in black with information about the states, paper money in $100 and $500 denominations, and a cardboard box (no bottom) that reads "Game of the States" and has two spinners, one with numbers and one with amounts of money.

The game publisher Milton Bradley introduced this diversion to consumers during World War II. This resource-oriented game seemed timely as Americans collected, saved, and conserved different products to support the war effort. Players competed by purchasing a product in one state, transporting it, and selling it for a profit in another. At the conclusion of the game, the player with the most money won. Popular for many years, this educational game is still manufactured today.