About The Oldest Board Game In America
The game still exists today including original copies from 1822 that are sold online
A board game is a tabletop game that involves players moving pieces or tokens around a pre-marked surface or "board" according to a set of rules. These rules typically dictate how players interact with each other and the game elements, such as dice, cards, or other randomizers.
The oldest board game in the United States is called "The Travellers' Tour Through the United States" and it was published way back in 1822. The Library Of Congress recognizes it as the earliest known geographic board game featuring the United States. Google Arts And Culture acknowledges it as the first known American board game. Journal Of Antiques defines it as the earliest known board game published in the U.S. PBA Galleries describes it as the first American board game.
This rare board game was printed by Frederick and Roe Lockwood, two brothers who had set up at 154 Broadway Street, Manhattan, NYC, in the early 1820s. Initially they specialized in foreign language publications, but by the mid 1820s they branched out into “new and interesting pastimes for the Youth”.
This game was officially published by a New York bookseller named F. & R. Lockwood in 1822 in New York City. It was a simple roll-and-move game on a board that resembled a map of the early United States. The purpose was most likely to teach players about American geography.
This game aimed to be both entertaining and educational. The board itself is a detailed map of the United States at that time, including recently added states like Missouri and Maine. It was a map designed as a game. Players must traverse via 139 municipalities that they have to correctly identify to move forward.
Unlike many modern board games that use dice, "The Travellers' Tour" relied on a teetotum, a type of spinning top with numbered sides. Players would spin the teetotum to determine how many spaces to move on the map. There are two to four players.
Dice were frowned upon for children’s games due to their association with gambling, so movement was instead determined by using a teetotum—a spinning top with numbers. Landing on a city space wasn't just about moving forward. Players have to identify the city by name.
An advanced version even tested their knowledge of the city's population. Incorrect answers resulted in a turn loss. Each of the towns and cities is replaced with a number. The player rolls a die-like object and moves from place to place, trying to guess its name and the population.
The first player to reach New Orleans, a major port city at the time, and correctly identify its population (10,000 according to the game in 1822) would be declared the winner. "The Travellers' Tour" is considered the first commercially published board game in the United States. It wasn't simply an adaptation of an existing European game, but a unique concept designed for American audiences.
The game served as a fun way for people to learn about American geography, particularly the expanding nation's cities and territories. The game still exists today. However, finding an original copy of the game from 1822 is very difficult. They are likely collector's items. The Library of Congress has a preserved a copy you can view online. Some companies specialize in creating replicas of historical board games.
The Traveller's Tour Through the United States, the first American board game, sold for $9,000 at PBA Galleries in San Francisco on May 19, 2024. An original copy is currently for sale on eBay. Replicas are also for sale on platforms such as Walmart.
The original work is certainly very rare. OCLC records only three institutional examples; those at the New York Public Library, Brigham Young University, and the University of Michigan. The first two apparently had the slipcase, the last seemingly not. "The Travellers' Tour Through the United States" offers a glimpse into how early Americans learned and entertained themselves.