Free States

The Appalachian Free StatesThe Sam Blackwell interview (often shortened to the Free States) was an anarchist,Fallout 76 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide p.5: "THE FREE STATESThe Free States were a group of Appalachian anarchists who seceded from the United States shortly before the bombs fell. Paranoid that the government was lying to its people about the Vault program, the Free States movement built their own concrete bunkers to survive in case of nuclear devastation. While Raleigh Clay was the public face of the Free States, his arrest would reveal US Senator Sam Blackwell to also be a driving force behind the movement. Most of Appalachia considered the Free States movement to be nothing but political agitators and traitors. After the war, many of these same people would turn to the Free States for help."(Fallout 76 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide faction profiles) secessionist militia movement primarily consisting of Appalachian survivalists. Following the Great War, they attempted to create a new society, but by 2102, they had been wiped out by the Scorched Plague.
The Free States are the third faction introduced if following the main story, right after the raiders, and are predominantly found in The Mire. For a detailed breakdown of their appearances, see this article.
==Background==
The Free States started as a group of pre-War anarchists hailing from the region around Appalachia.Fallout 76 loading screens: "The Free States were a group of Appalachian anarchists who seceded from the United States shortly before the bombs fell." Fearing imminent nuclear carnage and distrusting the government's ties to Vault-Tec, members constructed bunkers to survive a potential nuclear holocaust.Fallout 76 loading screens: "Paranoid that the government was lying to its people about the Vault program, the Free States movement built their own concrete bunkers to survive in case of nuclear devastation." Although largely diffuse, the Free Staters used the town of Harpers Ferry as a staging area and supply point for the bunkers they were building. Harpers Ferry was not appreciative of the anarchist's usage of their town, however, as it was largely built on tourism and the Free States movement was scaring away visitors. Fallout 76 loading screens: "Harpers Ferry was a small town that depended on tourism. This put them at odds with the growing "Free States" movement, whose conspiracy theories put off patriotic visitors." Before the war, residents of Appalachia viewed the Free States movement as little more than extremists and traitors, particularly Raleigh Clay and Senator Sam Blackwell.Overseer's log - Free States Realizing many of the Free States' paranoia was justified, survivors of the Great War sought the well-prepared movement for aid.Fallout 76 loading screens: "Most of Appalachia considered the Free States movement to be nothing but political agitators and traitors. After the war, many of these same people would turn to the Free States for help."
The situation steadily escalated as the Sino-American War deteriorated. In late 2076, the Free Staters started buying up supplies at stores throughout the Ferry, ranging from canned goods to camping gear. Although the shopkeepers found it a little strange, they paid in cash and that was all that mattered (although it did scare some of them when they realized just how much ammunition the Free Staters were buying up).Harpers Ferry terminal entries; manager's terminal, 11.16.76 The situation rapidly deteriorated in early 2077, as the divide between the Free Staters and the denizens of Harpers Ferry grew. Street fights between Staters and "patriots" became disturbingly common, tearing the Ferry apart and attracting government attention.Harpers Ferry terminal entries; manager's terminal, 01.01.77 At first, the interest was limited to surveillance and documenting Free States membership and their associates. Secret policemen visited Ferry vendors and coerced them into handing over names and addresses, winning a battle and losing the war, as the shopkeepers started to realize that the Free Staters may, in fact, be right about the government.Harpers Ferry terminal entries; manager's terminal, 03.20.77 However, the visits also had a notable chilling effect, as, by May, many started outright refusing to provide services to Free States members.Harpers Ferry terminal entries; Ella's terminal, 03.20.77
By June, the United States military launched a propaganda campaign against the Free States followed by the seizure of property belonging to members of the movement due to "seditious activity."Charleston Capitol Building terminal entries; Senator Blackwell's terminal (unlocked), Subject: No Luck Midway through June, the public prosecutor pressed charges against Raleigh Clay, prompting Blackwell to call for an investigation into the movement leader's alleged wrongful imprisonment.Charleston Capitol Building terminal entries; Senator Blackwell's terminal (unlocked), Subject: Raleigh ClayCharleston Capitol Building terminal entries; Senator Blackwell's terminal (unlocked), Subject: AdviceCharleston Capitol Building terminal entries; Senator Blackwell's terminal (unlocked), Raleigh Clay Release In response, the Free States openly seceded from the United States by September 2077, retreating to their concrete bunkers and isolating themselves from the outside world while waiting for the bombs to drop. The military, lacking the resources to fight a prolonged counterinsurgency campaign, decided to cease focus on the faction.Sugar Grove terminal entries; project director's terminal, 10-13-77: Free States
The Staters weathered the nuclear war and remained in their bunkers until roughly July 2079. After the all-clear, they moved quickly and retook Harpers Ferry, turning it into a major fortress and trading post near the heart of the Mire. Using salvage and scrap gathered from the surrounding area, they established fortifications to protect themselves and people under their care - many of whom used to despise them for their convictions.Charleston Capitol Building terminal entries; Holbrook's terminal, They've left their bunkers By 2084, the town was a prosperous outpost, providing support and food to those in need.
The Grafton Dam outpost, in particular, shielded their western flank and allowed traders and travelers to move safely through the Savage Divide to the ferry. It was also a key route connecting the Free States with the Responders in Charleston, at least until the town was destroyed by raiders in 2082.Harpers Ferry Armory terminal entries; Raleigh's terminal, Trade Routes However, this prosperity would not last. The situation deteriorated after the release of the scorchbeasts by President Thomas Eckhart. The monstrosities wreaked havoc on the region, bringing the Scorched Plague in their wake. Harpers Ferry held out until 2086 when the scorchbeasts nullified seven years of hard work overnight.Abbie's bunker terminal entries; Niraj's terminal, The Scorched Raleigh Clay issued a general order banning all recovery efforts, as the Free States were forced back to the drawing board.Raleigh Clay's bunker terminal entries; outgoing notifications station, Scorchbeasts
Although the Mire offered enough cover to allow them to escape the scorchbeasts for a time, the incredibly hostile environment was taking its toll. Abigayle Singh, the States' resident genius, worked hard to create countermeasures and a detection network that would help turn the tide. The Scorched Detection System, as it was called, became operational after the loss of Harpers Ferry, to provide an early warning network.Raleigh Clay's bunker terminal entries; terminal, Early ThoughtsRaleigh Clay's bunker terminal entries; terminal, First PlanRaleigh Clay's bunker terminal entries; terminal, Promising ResultsRaleigh Clay's bunker terminal entries; outgoing notifications station, Scorchbeast Lures
However, the biggest asset at the Free States' disposal came after the fall of the Brotherhood in August 2095. Using information salvaged from their abandoned forward camps, the Free States managed to combine it with the SDS to create scorchbeast lures, capable of attracting the monsters, disorienting and trapping them, so that the Free States can wipe them out. The Free States could fight back and the Responders desperately reached out through Hank Madigan, who realized the potential lying in the technology and decided to combine forces.Madigan encounter However, it was too little, too late. Without the Brotherhood and their AA perimeter, the scorchbeasts and their minions had free reign over Appalachia and could spread without any barriers. Although Madigan aided Abbie Singh with the SDS, the entire system, which could provide respite from the scorchbeasts, was ruined by David Thorpe and his raiders, who imprisoned Madigan, trying to ransom the uplink. Instead of money, they received attacks from the Scorched. The Free States, too, were eventually overwhelmed by them.Abbie's bunker terminal entries; Abbie's terminal, A New Beginning
==Organization==
The Free States were a loose confederation of people bound by the skepticism of United States government intentions and its plans for the citizenry in the event of a nuclear war. This loose organization made them resilient and diffuse, helping weather the propaganda attacks from the military and "patriotic citizens." The second aspect was strong political backing. While Raleigh Clay was the public face of the Free States, his arrest would reveal U.S Senator Sam Blackwell to also be a driving force behind the movement.Fallout 76 loading screens: "While Raleigh Clay was the public face of the Free States, his arrest would reveal US Senator Sam Blackwell to also be a driving force behind the movement." 
Perhaps the only standardized element of their organization was the Free State iconography: A five-pointed star bisected into fields of black and light blue, typically surrounded by a broken chain.
==Technology==
Free Staters emphasized resilience and survival in any condition. While lacking the refinement of military technologies used by the Brotherhood of Steel in Appalachia or the combined training and discipline of the Responders, the Free States made up with ingenuity and resourcefulness. Their talented mechanics and gunsmiths created a variety of rugged weapons, repurposing hunting gear, old weapons, and various civilian items like tools or even musical instruments as weapons of war. They also made extensive use of salvaged gear, such as military-grade body armorMarine and combat armor is the preferred gear of the Free Staters, judging by the recipes and rewards. and other armor salvaged from the nearest available resources.Robot armor and robot armor mods are found on the Free States vendor and wood armor is directly discussed by Abbie Singh during the quest Early Warnings To add, it seems the Free States had an access point to military armament, with many Free States members and locations bearing military technology, including turrets using high-grade explosive roundsThe Explosive turrets located in Berkeley Springs and Harpers Ferry As well as military robots.The eyebot, Rover, during Always Vigilant, the vendorbot in Harpers Ferry, and Hardball, a reprogrammed Mr. Gutsy found north of Valley Galleria during the quest Tracking Unknowns
Unlike the raiders, the Free Staters heavily invested in self-sufficiency, establishing farms and harvesting the bounty of the Mire, trying to survive in the strange new world that emerged in the wake of the Great War.Harpers Ferry history and that of other families.
The Free States had no unified uniforms, but many of their members are seen wearing civilian workmen’s clothing, like miner uniform, fisherman’s outfit, and fisherman’s overalls, as well as salvaged military gear like the forest camo jumpsuit and military fatigues.Can be seen on the multiple corpses scattered around Harpers Ferry 
==Related quests==
* An Organic Solution: RadShield can be obtained by the player character after learning about Ella Ames' research.
* Always Vigilant: The player character may assist the Free States' robot Rover in rebooting the "Scorched Detection Communications" Protocol at various relay towers across Appalachia.
* Tracking Unknowns: The fate of a missing hunting group searching for ghouls can be discovered.
* Heart of the Swamp: A strangler heart can be killed after hearing a priority message from Raleigh Clay which starts the event.
* It's a Trap: Utilize the Free States scorchbeast lures scattered across Appalachia to ground and kill a scorchbeast during the event.
==Notes==
* Two vendors will trade with the Vault Dwellers, including Vendor bot Wallace at Berkeley Springs Station and the Free States vendor at the Whitespring Resort.
* Recordings were left by Abigayle Singh explaining how to repair, upgrade, and activate the Scorched Detection System.Coming to FruitionEarly WarningsReassembly Required
* Atomic Shop items include Free States bundle, Free States revolutionary outfit and helmet, Free States survivalist outfit and matching hat and bandana, as well as posters, flags, signs, and weapons/item skins. These are the closest to a unified uniform, consisting of repurposed jackets and steel mill uniforms respectively, combined with surplus combat webbing and steel helmets.Free States Revolutionary and Survivalist outfits.
==Appearances==
The Free States are mentioned only .
==Behind the scenes==
* The Free States' color scheme combines black, the traditional color of anarchism, and blue, symbolizing freedom. The second color is tied to the original symbolism of the color dating back to the American Revolution, when the British Whig Party selected "buff and blue" as their color, to distinguish themselves as opposition to the ruling Tory Party, associated with the color red, eg. through the military, redcoats. George Washington and many of the Patriots in the colonists supported policies of the Whig Party, and blue-colored uniforms were chosen by Washington in 1774 for the Fairfax County Independent Company of Volunteers. After he was asked to select an official color for the Continental Army uniforms, Washington selected "buff and blue" in 1779.Blue in culture on Wikipedia
* The diagonal division with black in the lower-right resembles a well-known anarchist variant of the Gadsden flag.Anarcho-Gadsden flag on Wikipedia In modern times, using this diagonal black design scheme with different colors may connote specific political movements or philosophies adjacent to libertarianism or anarchism.
==Gallery==
FO76 Twitter Free States.jpg|From Bethesda faction teaser of the Free States
F76_MotD_Free_States_flag recreated.png|Flag shown in a Message of the Day texture 
Atx camp decoration signfreestates small01 c1.png| Atomic Shop Free States bundle
F76 Free States Combat Armor.png| Atomic Shop Free States bundle
Atx camp decoration signfreestates large01 c1.png| Atomic Shop Free States bundle
;Examples of government propaganda
F76 FS Propaganda 1.png
F76 FS Propaganda 2.png
F76 FS Propaganda 3.png
;Examples of defaced government propaganda
F76 FS Propaganda 1 Rev.png
F76 FS Propaganda 2 Rev.png
F76 FS Propaganda 3 Rev.png
;Examples of Free States signage
ATX camp sign free states large 1.png
ATX camp sign free states large 2.png
ATX camp sign free states large 3.png
;Flags
F76 Free States Revolutionary Flag 1.png|Revolutionary flag
F76 Free States Revolutionary Flag 2.png|Alternate revolutionary flag
F76 Free States Survivalist Flag 1.png|Survivalist flag
F76 Free States Survivalist Flag 2.png|An alternate survivalist variant
F76 Free States Trailblazer Flag.png|The elite trailblazer flag, woven with golden thread
==References==
Non-game
 
fr:États Libres
it:Stati Liberi
ru:Свободные Штаты
uk:Вільні Штати
zh:自由邦