When he printed and sold an image of the little-known Republican presidential nominee Abraham Lincoln, Bradley initially met with great success.

[5] However, Lincoln decided to grow his distinctive beard after Bradley's print was published, leading customers to demand their money back because the image was no longer accurate.

Earlier games, such as the popular Mansion of Happiness created in Puritan Massachusetts, focused entirely on promoting moral virtue.

Bradley defined success in secular business terms, depicting life as a quest for accomplishment with personal virtues as a means to that end.

The game—and later board games produced by the Milton Bradley Company—also fit the nation's increasing amount of leisure time, leading to great financial success for the company.

His friend George Tapley bought out the partner's shares so that Bradley could continue manufacturing educational materials.

[1] He was buried in Springfield Cemetery in a family plot alongside his father Lewis (1810–1890), his mother Fanny (1813–1872), and his first wife Vilona.

In 2004, he was posthumously inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame along with George Ditomassi of Milton Bradley Company.

[10] The story of Milton Bradley and The Checkered Game of Life is featured as one of the segments in Season 3, Episode 6 of the Comedy Central show Drunk History.