Freedom City

Clockwise, from top: Skyline from Centery Bridge, Pyramid Plaza, Lonely Point Naval Base, Freedom City Boardwalk, St. Georges Cathedral, and the Sentry Statue

Map of Freedom City

## Demographics

### Ethnicities

44% White, 26% Black, 18% Hispanic, 9.7% Asian, 0.9% Native American, 1.4% Other

### Demonym

Freedonian

The **City of Freedom**, more commonly **Freedom City** or simply **Freedom** is a thriving, modern metropolis. It is home to millions, with more moving into the area every day, drawn by the promise of a new life in a city filled with opportunity. Untold millions of dollars change hands within Freedom City with every passing moment, and with money and people comes crime and corruption.

Freedom City, situated along the East Coast at the confluence of the Wading and South Rivers where they flow into Great Bay, consists of eight districts, each represented by a member on the Freedom City Council. Downtown Freedom lies between the rivers, while the greater metropolitan area spans both sides. Lincoln, Southside, and Bayview can be found on the far bank of the South River. East of Bayview, along the Centery Narrows and the southern coast of Great Bay lies Port Regal and Lonely Point. Along the northern bank of the Wading River are the districts of Hanover and Kingston, with North Bay extending from the northern bank of the Centery Narrows out along the northern coast of Great Bay.

## History

Freedom City was originally founded by Puritan colonists from England and the Netherlands who arrived in the New World in 1630. The colonists had amicable relations with the local Native American tribes initially, but eventually came into conflict with them as Freedom grew, resulting in several skirmishes.

### The 1700s

By the mid-18th century, Freedom had grown considerably, absorbing the nearby settlements of Bayview, Hanover, Kingston, and Port Regal. The area became a focus for anti-British sentiment among the colonists, and Freedom sided near-unanimously with the rebels during the American Revolution. In 1779, Colonial Major Joseph Clark won a series of decisive victories over British forces in Freedom and its immediate neighbors, eventually driving out the British and securing the area for the colonial army. Following the war in 1789, Freedom and the outlying settlements formally incorporated as Freedom City.

### The 1800s

The 19th century saw continued growth and development for Freedom City, including the establishment of Freedom City University and the publication of the Freedom Ledger, the city's first daily paper, both in 1825. The outlying districts were largely defined and the new West End and Southside neighborhoods began to grow with the influx of immigrants from Europe.

Freedom City gained its most prominent landmark, the Sentry Statue, in 1886. The enormous statue, constructed from golden-tinted marble over a metal framework, was a gift from France, commemorating the city's place in history as a defender of liberty due to the sacrifices made by its citizens during the American Revolution and the Civil War.

### 1900-1944

The beginning of the 20th century saw Freedom City grow into a modern metropolis, but its growth and economic success were stymied by the introduction of the 18th Constitutional Amendment, which brought Prohibition and the violence of organized crime that came with it. The 18th Amendment was struck down in 1933 with the passing of the 21st, but the organized crime families that had established themselves in Freedom during Prohibition were here to stay.

Freedom was hit hard during the Great Depression, with unemployment skyrocketing to almost 25%. Large sections of the city were left to decay, both structurally and economically, and there were many places considered so dangerous that the FCPD unofficially declared them no-patrol zones, essentially leaving those neighborhoods to fend for themselves.

The outbreak of World War II saved the city from complete economic collapse, as rapidly increasing demand for manufactured goods brought the city's factories back online after nearly two decades of silence. The seemingly endless demand for supplies to power the war effort allowed Freedom's economy to slowly recover, and as the war came to a close, returning GIs brought an economic boom that would place Freedom City back on top.