Freetown

Freetown is the largest settlement in post-war New York City and is the capital of the Republic of New York. It is easily one of the largest settlements in post-war America.

Independent settlement
Freetown was founded in 2127 in Times Square by the residents of Vault 120. The population stayed low initially, taking in travelers and traders to join the small town. Word around the wasteland spread about the settlement, and by 2134 the population was over 1000 people. The town became close allies with the neighboring settlements and began to allow caravans to transport clean water to the people of the New York ruins. In the same year, Freetown Radio was also established, which only caused more people to join the growing settlement. Eventually, Freetown got so large that for a time people were not allowed citizenship into the town. In the following years, however, Freetown was able to double the number of crops it was growing and increase its water supply by a large margin, so people were allowed to settle again, although housing was still very expensive.

Republic of New York
Over the years, Freetown grew its friendships and alliances with nearby settlements, and eventually, most of the settlements in the New York Ruins banded together to form the Republic of New York. Freetown was made the capital, with it being the largest and most developed settlement in the area. Freetown would eventually grow to the point that the other settlements would be incorporated as districts.

In 2189 part of Freetown was turned into a gambling district, full of casinos. The most prominent being the Empire Casino, built in the ruins of the Empire State building. This sparked some controversy and some people protested this move by the republic, and a small group called the Liberty Party would attempt to protest the government. This Liberty Party would eventually leave due to over-taxation during a water crisis in the area and go on to form New Liberty on Liberty Island.

In the 2230's only a few independent settlements remained in the ruins as most of them had joined the Republic. The Republic fought a brief war with these settlements to annex them, although they eventually came to a truce with them when they threatened to launch a nuclear missile from a silo at the Freetown Capitol Building. These settlements would go on to join New Liberty, and the Republic finally realized the threat of this growing power.