In which country the game of bridge originated?

Question

In which country the game of bridge originated?

Answer 1

History of Bridge - The  origin of playing cards was in China, where paper was invented, dates back to around the year 1120.   Originally, cards were used for fortune telling and gambling.  Cards were introduced into Italy and Spain around 1370, probably coming from Egypt.  Tarot cards, used for fortune telling, were introduced in Italy in 1440.

In 1432, Saint Bernardo warned the "Faithful" that cards were invented by the Devil, later picked up by the English Puritans -- often regarded a "The Devil's Picture Book".  By 1495, Henry VII issued a Decree forbidding his servants from playing cards except during the Christmas Holiday.

Later, Elizabeth the First levied a tax on the manufacture of playing cards, which generated significant revenues for the Crown. By the era of Queen Anne, card playing was in full swing.  Men preferred Piquet, women loved Ombre, while the Clergy and Country Squires played Whist.  Have you ever wondered why the Ace of Spades looks so distinctive?  Well, it was the official stamp of certification to indicate that the proper English tax was paid on that deck of cards (the Stamp Office kept the only stock of pre-stamped Aces of Spades) -- the card manufacturers were forbidden to produce that Ace.  This tax hung around all the way onto 1960, yet the unique look of the Ace of Spades still is found on most decks.

By 1860, Europeans as well as Americans accepted card rank naming convention, markings on the faces that declared their values.  As far as the "faces" themselves, the French invented two patterns:

    The Rouennais pattern originated in the 1400's.  While the French gave up the Rouennais pattern, it was exported to England which was subsequently used in the United States.  

This is my help from Washington, D.C. United States of America.