The United States, also known as the U.S.A., U.S., United States of America, and America, was a pre-War country. The location serves as the setting for the Fallout game series, depicted both before and after the Great War.
Background
Revolutionary War
The nation was founded by thirteen colonies of Great Britain located along the Atlantic coast of North America.[1][2] Disagreements between colonists and King George the Third's policies on issues such as taxation led to the armed occupation of the colonies.[3][4][5] The colonists pushed back, culminating in events such as the Boston Tea Party and Boston Massacre, where in 1770, five colonists died inciting rage against the British occupation.[4][6][7]
In 1775, British soldiers marched on the cities of Lexington and Concord to disarm the colonists and arrest members of their leadership.[5][8][9] Departing from Boston Common, the two forces opened fire near the Old North Bridge.[10][11] This started the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the subsequent Revolutionary War.[12][13] The first major military confrontation of the war took place on Breed's Hill, known as the Battle of Bunker Hill.[14] The battle took place on June 17, 1775, ending in a British victory.[14]
The colonists ultimately defeated British forces, resulting in the first successful colonial war of independence.[2][15] The leadership of the newly independent nation proclaimed their regional entities as states.[2] A group of 56 delegates from these states joined together as the Second Continental Congress, authoring the Declaration of Independence, issuing it on July 4, 1776.[3][16] A federal convention adopted a legislative document known as the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787 and its ratification the following year made the states part of a single republic.[2] Other conflicts include the French and Indian War and the Whiskey Rebellion.[17] The United States national anthem is The Star-Spangled Banner, the lyrics of which was written by Francis Scott Key.[18]
Civil War
Disputes between the agrarian southern states and industrial northern states regarding the expansion of slavery provoked the war.[19] The southern states attempted to secede, becoming the Confederacy led by General Lee, faced the Union Army.[20] During the war, a draft was implemented, a poster of which can be found in the ruins of Washington D.C.[21] Led by President Abraham Lincoln and General Grant, the north's victory prevented a permanent split of the country and led to the end of slavery in the United States.[19][22]
This Battle of Philippi was the first land conflict of the war, taking place near Philippi, Virginia. On June 3, 1861, the Union planned a pre-dawn assault on the Confederates, which resulted in their retreat.[23] The leader who drove out the Confederates was Colonel Kelly, leader of the 1st West Virginia. A monument commemorating them is located near the site alongside a battlefield cemetery.[24][25]
At the end of the war, President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed the slaves, and subsequently presented the Gettysburg Address. In Washington D.C., Hannibal Hamlin shares information about Lincoln and his role in the emancipation, when inquiring about the Lincoln Memorial.[26][27] In Appalachia, recreations of battles were held at Prickett's Fort. On the south wall of the Lincoln Memorial, there is an inscription mentioning the Civil War.[28]
Space exploration
The United States Space Administration was credited with successfully sending human beings into space onboard the space capsule Defiance 7, making a full revolution around the Earth in twelve minutes and seven seconds.[29] Captain Carl Bell died on May 5, 1961 when the capsule crashed on its return.[29]
On July 16, 1969, the Virgo II lunar lander "Valiant 11," piloted by Captains Richard Wade, Mark Garris, and Michael Hagen, became the first manned space vehicle to touch down on the moon.[12] On November 14, 1969, the Virgo III "Valiant 12" also landed on the moon, leaving behind its flag.[4] Constructed with special materials to withstand the harsh environment, the flag survived on the surface until it was found in 2052 by the crew of the last manned flight to the moon's surface.[4]
In 2020, the USSA commissioned Delta IX rocket, one of the most successful rockets in the nation's history with over 77 successful launches.[30] The longest recorded spaceflight in a Delta IX rocket was the 17-day Zeus 12 mission to the moon.[30] The spacecraft was the last of the manned rockets to the moon, converted afterward for military use, removing the crew and instrument sections in order to hold a nuclear warhead.[4][30]
Resource Wars
The United States was involved in the Resource Wars, a series of conflicts beginning in 2052, brought on by an unsustainable global economy that heavily relied on finite resources such as petroleum and uranium.[31][32] On March 5, 2052, the United States officially closed its borders.[33] Disagreement on the world's last remaining resources caused the dissolution of the United Nations in July 2052.[34][35] Wartime censorship enabled the government to confiscate and destroy any material deemed seditious.[36][37] Defense contractors and industrial complexes were put under military command.[38][39]
Under Executive Order 99066, Chinese-American citizens were taken from their homes, placed in concentration camps without trial, transported by private security contractors.[40] The Turtledove Detention Camp in Maryland was one such camp.[41] Many ended up disappearing in the various research facilities across the United States.[42][43]
Organized labor and unions pushed back against the government and corporations, struggling for wages, benefits, and safe working conditions.[44][45][46] In Appalachia, Hornwright Industrial, Atomic Mining Services, and RobCo Industries, supported by Governor Evans, pushed for replacing human labor with robotics and leaving workers unemployed. The unrest culminated in Automation Riots.
Great War
The event ended decade-long conflict between the United States and China.[47] By 2077, a combination of attrition, loss of supply routes, and offensives conducted by the United States across the front left Chinese units in Alaska stranded and cut off from reinforcements.[Pub 1] The liberation of Anchorage aided by winterized T-51 Power Armor units under the command of General Constantine Chase marked the end of the Anchorage Reclamation.[48][49][Pub 1] After United States victory in Anchorage, the conflict transitioned into a stalemate.[50] Media outlets reported billions of dollars wasted with no clear end or victor in sight.[51] Preparing for a nuclear or biological attack, the president of the United States retreated to an oil rig off the west coast in March 2077.[52]
The war both began and ended on October 23, 2077.[53][Pub 2] Submarines were identified by COMPACFLT at 00:03 EST off the West Coast. At 03:37 EST, a squadron of high-altitude bombers were sighted off the Bering Strait.[54] Six hours later, at 09:13 EST, IONDS detected the first four missile launches and the United States moved to DEFCON 2.
Four minutes later, NORAD reported confirmed strikes. Citizens of Washington received warnings after the West Coast was already destroyed.[55] Unclear where the bombs came from or who initiated launch first, air raid sirens sounded, and at 09:26 EST, the president ordered a retaliatory strike according to scenario MX-CN91.[54] Nuclear bombs hit Pennsylvania and New York at 09:42 EST.[53] By 09:47 EST, facilities had gone offline.[54][56][57][58]
Regions
Both states and commonwealths were used to distinguish regions within the United States.[59] In Appalachia, documents used the distinction "Territory of Appalachia" and "Appalachian Territory."[60][61] The country utilized several varieties of national flag. The country shared borders with Mexico to the south, Canada to the north, and Russia across the Bering Strait from Alaska.[62]
Government
In the years prior to the war, the government was led by the president, who worked with their respective cabinet. The House of Representatives and the Senate were legislative bodies capable of the impeachment of a president.[63] The Senate was comprised of department committees that engaged in various initiatives, while Congress was briefed on plans concerning national security.[64][65] The government included multiple departments and agencies.
Military
The United States Armed Forces served as the unified military of the United States, and was composed of the United States Army, United States Navy, US Marines, United States Air Force, and the US Coast Guard.
Notes
- Desmond Lockheart mentions that at any point in time, there were no less than three members of the Calvert family serving in the senate, and seven in the House of Representatives.[66]
- An unnamed member of the senate was captured and taken aboard Mothership Zeta.[67]
- The Department of Labor is unused in Fallout 4.
Behind the scenes
Federal courts are mentioned in a design document for Van Buren.[Doc 1]
Gallery
References
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- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p. 43: "A combination of inclement weather, constant American bombardment and trench warfare, and U.S. powered armor unit attacks sweeping through mainline China, the Chinese supply lines weakened and finally broke down completely. By the beginning of 2077, the city of Anchorage was finally liberated, the Chinese invaders eradicated, and the operation had been deemed a success. A commemorative memorial was erected in Washington, D.C., in honor of the soldiers who fought and perished for the greater American good. Violence between America and pockets of Canadian freedom fighters continued throughout 2077, until the Great War obliterated almost all infrastructure, commerce, and human life."
(Fallout 3 Official Game Guide/Faction profiles) - ↑ Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide p. 454: "2077 October 23. The Great War."
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