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Our intrepid leaders had everything they wanted! Power, wealth, prestige... And it made them lazy, America, oh yes, and laziness breeds stupidity.John Henry Eden

The United States of America (U.S.A.), also known as the United States (U.S.) or simply America, was a pre-War federal republic primarily located in North America. Throughout the 21st century, America served as one of the world's preeminent superpowers, rivalled only by China, and the nation developed advanced technology mostly centered around nuclear fusion and fission, from orbital research stations to advanced consumer robotics. This also included large stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction, primarily nuclear weapons.[10]

By 2077 the U.S.A. was heavily controlled by an oligarchical deep state known as the Enclave, with heavy ties to the military-industrial complex.[11] The once-thriving democracy had now become effectively a military dictatorship, ruled by corporate interests and military leaders. Interference by this organization in the nation's continuity of government protocols inadvertently resulted in a widespread breakdown of the chain of command during the Great War, leading to a total societal collapse.

Despite having effectively ceased to exist after the nuclear holocaust, many organizations in the wasteland continue to embrace the ideals of the United States and seek to emulate or even revive its institutions, deriving an air of legitimacy through their connection, real, figurative, or imagined, to the pre-War U.S.A. The United States serves as the setting for the Fallout series, depicted both before and after the bombs dropped.

Background

Revolutionary War

US flag variant 1

The Revolution, as depicted on the Museum of Freedom mural.

The nation was founded by thirteen colonies of Great Britain located along the Atlantic coast of North America.[12][13] Disagreements between colonists and King George III's policies on issues such as taxation led to the armed occupation of the colonies.[14][1][15] 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.[1][16][17]

In 1775, British soldiers marched on the cities of Lexington and Concord to disarm the colonists and arrest members of their leadership.[15][18][19] Departing from Boston Common, the two forces opened fire near the Old North Bridge.[20][21] This started the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the subsequent Revolutionary War.[22][23] A group of 56 delegates from the colonies joined together as the Second Continental Congress, authoring the Declaration of Independence, issuing it on July 4, 1776.[14][24]

The colonists defeated British forces, resulting in the first successful colonial war of independence.[13][25] The leadership of the newly independent nation proclaimed their regional entities as states.[13] 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.[13]

Westward expansion

After gaining independence, the country would begin to expand greatly, obtaining land from France, Spain, and Mexico and annexing the Republic of Texas, until it extended coast to coast.[26] As settlers continued moving west, the idea of Manifest Destiny began to emerge, the idea that the United States is destined to spread across the entire North American continent.[27] They invariably came into conflict with many of the Native American tribes whose land they were encroaching upon and forcing them off of. Eventually, these tribes would be given legal designations of land to live on known as reservations. With its origin as a collection of colonies, the country took a hardline stance against European imperialism, with President James Monroe warning European powers not to interfere in the Western Hemisphere with the signing of the Monroe Doctrine in 1823.[28]

Civil War

Disputes between the agrarian southern states and industrial northern states regarding the expansion of slavery provoked civil war in the United States.[29] The southern states attempted to secede, becoming the Confederacy. During the war, a draft was implemented, a poster of which can be found in the ruins of Washington D.C.[30]

The 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.[31] The leader who drove out the Confederates was Colonel Benjamin Franklin Kelley, leader of the 1st Virginia Infantry. A monument commemorating him is located near the site alongside a battlefield cemetery.[32][33]

Led by President Abraham Lincoln, the north's victory prevented a permanent split of the country and led to the end of slavery in the United States.[29] At the end of the war, President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed the slaves. He also presented the Gettysburg Address during the war. In Washington D.C., Hannibal Hamlin shares information about Lincoln and his role in the emancipation, when inquiring about the Lincoln Memorial.[34][35] On the south wall of the Lincoln Memorial, there is an inscription mentioning the Civil War.[36] In Appalachia, recreations of battles were held at Prickett's Fort.

Emergence as a world power

The United States came out of the war a stronger union. It would go on to gain land from Russia and annex the Kingdom of Hawaii, establishing its modern borders.[26] It would also go on to acquire a number of territories in the Pacific and Caribbean.[8] With the Spanish-American War and World War I came an expanded influence on the world stage, but it would not be until the Second World War that the US truly became a super-power. After being attacked by Japan at Pearl Harbor,[37] the country would join the Allies and battle against the Axis powers.[38] It developed the first nuclear weapons, and dropped them on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, marking the end of the war.[39] The introduction of nuclear warfare sparked an arms race with the Soviet Union, beginning a period known as the Cold War.

Space exploration

Support for the United States Space Administration resulted in the pioneering flight of Defiance 7 on May 5, 1961, when Captain Carl Bell became the first known human in space. However, the claim was widely disputed by the Soviet Union and China.[40] By the end of the decade, the United States had achieved victory in the space race, as the Virgo II lunar lander touched down on the surface of Earth's Moon on July 16, 1969. Valiant 11 mission members, Captain Richard Wade, Captain Mark Garris, and Captain Michael Hagen, became the first humans known to have walked on the surface of another celestial body.[41][42] The space exploration program continued into 2020, when the Delta IX was commissioned. It was the last manned rocket to go to the Moon, and was in use for almost 15 years before being converted into military use.[43]

Resource Wars

FO4NW Hub parking lot

Nuclear coolant prices; pre-war, a cheaper alternative to the then limited gasoline.

The United States was a major player 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.[44][45] Disagreement on the world's last remaining resources caused the dissolution of the United Nations in July 2052.[46][47]

Things worsened with the emergence of the highly-transmissible New Plague in 2053;[48][Non-game 1] defense contractor West Tek established facilities to combat the virus, all the while under military control. Though no cure was known to have ever been found, the research into a cure paved the way for subsequent biochemical research efforts.[49] West Tek was not the only industrial complex put under military command,[50] as wartime censorship enabled the government to confiscate and destroy any material deemed seditious.[51][52]

Organized labor and unions pushed back against the government and corporations, struggling for wages, benefits, and safe working conditions.[53][54][55] 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.

Nuclear exchanges in the Middle East, along with the devastating Euro-Middle Eastern War and the New Plague's death toll, caused the federal government to initiate Project Safehouse in 2054, which created fallout shelters that would protect a percentage of the United State's population in the event of a nuclear war or fatal plague. The Vault-Tec Corporation won the contract, and this massive national defense project was set in motion. Breakthroughs in construction technology allowed for these gargantuan bunkers to be constructed at a rapid pace.[Non-game 2][Non-game 3]

By the end of the decade, in 2059, the United States began to prepare for war, as the global situation continued to worsen. The Anchorage front line had been established in Alaska, to protect its oil reserves from foreign invaders. Canada had also begun to feel the pressure exerted by its increasingly hostile neighbor.[Non-game 4] As a peculiar consolation prize to wrap up the decade, the first artificial intelligence was born in American laboratories. Limited by memory constraints, its expansion was rapidly halted. The discovery paved the way for future research in laboratories throughout the United States.[Non-game 5]

The Sino-American War

Fo4 Intro Still 5

An Army patrol moves through Alaska.

Main article: Sino-American War

In 2060, available fuel reserves began to run out worldwide. Traffic on the streets died as fuel became too valuable to waste on automobiles. The automotive industry desperately tried to come up with a solution to the problem, but electric and early fusion cars were too little, too late to help solve the growing needs of society.[10][Non-game 6]

Energy conflicts between the United States and China arose as oil resources dried up globally, with China becoming more aggressive in trade negotiations, even as the United States refused to export its oil to China and relations between the two broke down.[Non-game 7] Additionally, microfusion cells were invented in 2066 by U.S. scientists as a potential solution to the energy crisis, adding insult to injury for the struggling China.[56]

In desperation, the Chinese military launched an invasion of Alaska to seize its oil reserves. The Battle of Anchorage effectively kickstarted the Sino-American War, the last known war the United States would ever fight.[44] On the front, the deployment of the T-45 power armor aided in preventing PLA tanks and infantry from overrunning Alaska. However, the situation rapidly deteriorated into a stalemate, with neither side capable of breaking it, and forcing peace terms on the enemy.[Non-game 8]

Despite claims of fighting a defensive war, American infantry and mechanized divisions launched an invasion of Shantou on the Chinese mainland in 2074. The economy was stretched to the breaking point as America found itself fighting a war on three fronts: Canada, Alaska, and mainland China. Neither side was willing to yield, despite eight years of constant warfare.[57][Non-game 9] By October 2077, conflicts also took place in the Gobi Desert and Nanjing, while other troops were present in Mambajao.[58][59] By 2076, the war had raged for a decade. Both China and the United States teetered on the brink of collapse, yet both sides were in too deep to retreat and the stakes were far too high.

Red Scare

The federal government attempted to use increasing national paranoia to control domestic crises by discouraging assemblies, fueling anti-communist sentiment, and encouraging the reporting of subversive elements.[60] The Vigilant Citizen's Hotline was even established to allow hysterical citizens to report neighbors to the government for any behavior that could be construed as in support of communism.[61] A third Red Scare unfolded as a response to the increased hostility of China and its operations on American soil, which ranged from spreading pro-communist sentiment and propaganda to sabotage and other acts of war.[62]

More grimly, under Executive Order 99066, Chinese and Chinese-American citizens and residents were taken from their homes and placed in concentration camps without trial (a practice eerily reminiscent of the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II), sometimes by private security contractors hired by the military to conduct what were essentially abductions.[63] The Turtledove Detention Camp in Maryland was one such camp, forcing inmates to live in squalid conditions without access to proper sanitation facilities and its inmates being subjected to abuse, torture, and brutal interrogations.[64] Many ended up disappearing in the various research facilities across the United States.[65][66] The outbreak of war between China and the U.S. resulted in Americans of Chinese descent facing increased hostility and prejudice from paranoid Americans, who feared spies were all around them. While there was indeed a sizable Chinese infiltration effort (Operation Trinitite in Appalachia, for example), the U.S. government would greatly play up these fears to increase patriotic fervor for its own ends.

Annexation of Canada

The Sino-American War consumed increasing amounts of resources, materiel, and manpower, straining the ailing American economy even further. To counteract this, the United States military had begun to liberally exploit Canadian resources and violated its airspace while fighting in Anchorage. Riots, protests, and an overall contentious relationship with Canada eventually culminated in a sabotage attempt on an oil pipeline in 2072. The United States military used this incident as a pretext to outright invade Canada and begin annexation.[67] By 2077, the annexation was complete and Canada ceased to exist as a nation. The provinces occupied by the American military became U.S. territories, remaining under its political and military control, but not a state or commonwealth in their own right.[9] Violence escalated and security detachments equipped with combat armor were sent to suppress the Canadian population and any resistance movements.[44]

End of America and the Great War

Through a combination of attrition, loss of supply routes, and offensives conducted by the United States across the front, Chinese units in Alaska found themselves surrounded and cut off from reinforcements. The liberation of Anchorage spearheaded by winterized T-51 power armor units under the command of General Constantine Chase marked the end of the Anchorage Reclamation in 2077, after a decade of war.[68][69] The campaign in mainland China was reinvigorated by the victory in Alaska and the deployment of T-51 units. Army troops clad in T-51 regularly witnessed Chinese troops surrendering upon sighting them and their miniguns, even before the Battle of Anchorage concluded.[70] However, the effect did not last. As American troops pushed deeper into the mainland, Chinese resistance increased. By October, the situation transitioned from a rout into a stalemate once more.[71] After a decade of war, there was still no end in sight. Billions of dollars and thousands of casualties were spent in vain, despite taxes and various wartime revenues ensuring the United States government had been able to fund a standing army the likes of which the United States had never before seen.[57] To bolster the offensive, military bases across the United States were sealed and troops redeployed to provide more men for the front lines.[72]

Another contributing factor was the increasingly dire food situation, with riots being a regular occurrence. The United States Army servicemen deployed to protect food banks were known for responding to altercations with violence. One notable incident in Roxbury, Massachusetts, left four dead and eight wounded, after soldiers were laughing and picking targets out in the crowd well in advance. It was far from an exception.[73] The situation was made worse by the fact that the oligarchs of the Enclave in control of the United States retreated to remote locations around the globe, expecting a last-ditch nuclear strike from China at any moment. An oil rig off the Californian coast was claimed by the President and key associates, and this location would go on to become the main headquarters of the Enclave for the following centuries. Though contingency efforts were made, the United States was effectively left leaderless.[74][11][Non-game 10]

Things came to an irreversible head on October 23, 2077. In what would come to be known as the Great War, nuclear weapons were exchanged between the United States and China, with the latter launching a nuclear first strike as American forces began to encircle Beijing. After two hours[74] of apocalyptic destruction, the war was over and the world was destroyed. The fallout decimated society as a whole and the United States, as it was previously known, ceased to exist. Abandoned by their leaders who had gone into hiding in bunkers deep beneath the earth, the survivors began rebuilding on their own.[75]

Society

Fo3 Red Menace

An example of the propaganda

While the United States had been founded on the principles of liberty and justice for all, the reality of the 21st-century resource crisis and traumatic experiences, caused the nation to abandon these principles almost entirely. The fear of communism and economic collapse led to the population willingly complying with the gradual abrogation of civil rights; trading liberty for security.[76] While collusion between the executive branch and the corporations dominating the economy of the United States affected constitutional freedoms, the transition towards a totalitarian state began in earnest with the Sino-American War. Wartime censorship enabled the government to confiscate and indiscriminately destroy any material deemed seditious.[77] Such was the fate of the Patriot's Cookbook and many other publications.[78] Many publications became outlets for propaganda, used to mock non-nationalist sentiments and protesters.

Organized labor and unions[79][80] came under heavy attack from both the government and the corporations, often being accused of working for the enemy. Repression was particularly severe in Appalachia, a coal-rich region supplying raw materials for the war effort and a crucible of widespread automation. Hornwright Industrial Mining Company, Atomic Mining Services, and RobCo Industries, supported by Appalachia's Governor Evans, pushed for replacing human labor with robotics, leaving thousands of workers out of jobs, fueling widespread social unrest and impoverishing the population, made worse by the Wartime Workers Act that had recently been passed by Congress. The unrest culminated in the Appalachian mining riots of late 2077, which saw regular combat between workers and government and corporate enforcers.[81] However, even before that explosion, the United States was abusing and murdering its citizens: the United States Navy facility at Sugar Grove was an example of this tendency, engaging in covert surveillance of U.S. citizens, identifying labor activists and other "traitors," which usually led to abduction, murder without trial, and any surviving children being put up for adoption elsewhere.[82]

Civics and geography

See also: State, Commonwealths

Both state and commonwealths were used to distinguish regions within the United States.[83] In Appalachia, documents used the distinction "Territory of Appalachia" and "Appalachian Territory."[84][85] The United States shared borders with Mexico to the south, Canada to the north, and Russia across the Bering Strait from Alaska.[29]

National flag

FO4 Old Glory above Lexington

United States flag above Lexington.

Main article: United States flag

The national flag of the United States, known as Old Glory, traditionally reflected the number of states that comprised the Union. With the introduction of the commonwealth system, however, the canton that would normally represent the states was amended to reflect the number of constituent commonwealths.[86][9][87] The 50 star flag variant is also occasionally seen.[88]

Government

The government of the United States was officially a federal republic with a separation of powers into the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, and the body of laws codified in the United States Code.[89] U.S. citizens elected representatives and senators to the House of Representatives and the Senate respectively, with elections held even in wartime, and especially in emergencies, such as after Senator Sam Blackwell went rogue in Appalachia.[90]

The executive branch was the largest and most influential branch. The President was chosen by the Electoral College,[91] and headed a web of federal agencies, advisory boards, and other entities. The largest of these was the Department of Defense, in charge of the United States Armed Forces prosecuting the war against the People's Republic of China, assisted by the Joint Chiefs of Staff advisory board.[92]

The grim reality of the United States of the time was that the division of powers was truly nominal: The executive branch, the military, and megacorporations all colluded together in a shadowy conspiracy, using the people of the nation as mere pawns in their own games.[90] To obscure that fact, support for the military and civilian government was ensured by a combination of rabid nationalism, anti-communism, and totalitarian measures such as Project Brainstorm, the "Induced Patriotism Initiative." Pervasive propaganda designed to instill nationalist sentiment and loyalty in the citizenry had been developed as part of the Sino-American War; a combination of overt and subtle messages integrated into popular media published nationwide had been successful in developing jingoism in the population.[93] As a result, the people of the United States tolerated the excesses of the state, including legislation such as the Patriotic Patriots of America True Patriotism Act, permitting the drafting of citizens for virtually any purpose, including use of lethal force in service of the Census Bureau.[94][95]

Former presidents

Military

Flagnarmor

A mechanized cavalry soldier posing for a propaganda photo in front of the Stars and Stripes.

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.

As an increasing militaristic superpower, the United States had given priority to its armed forces, which asserted increasing control over law enforcement and public affairs. Bolstered by a jingoist culture, widespread propaganda, and pervasive domestic espionage efforts through the Defense Intelligence Agency and black projects of the various branches,[96] the military-controlled by the Department of Defense was one of the pillars of the American regime, supported by a network of vigilant citizens reporting suspected sedition and crime.

Most units outside the veteran formations fighting on the front lines against the Chinese and subjugating Canada suffered from poor training regimens. The situation was particularly bad with auxiliary units of the National Guard.[97]

The situation eventually led to the authorization and issuance of military-grade laser weapons to civilians in order to provide local defense or press them into service in case of a communist invasion or insurgency on American soil.[98] Private security companies were also contracted to perform arrests and round up civilians, completely blurring the line between the public and private sectors.[63]

Economy

F76 Hornwright HQ Exterior

The headquarters of Hornwright Industrial, responsible for pushing automation in Appalachia and related legislation, leading to mass disenfranchisement and automation riots. The punishing crackdown caught the eye of the White House.

Like other economies worldwide, the United States was severely affected by the resource shortage of the mid-21st century and the resulting Resource Wars. Though based on the principles of a free market and open competition, the crisis allowed a handful of mega-corporations to seize control and establish a practical monopoly in key sectors of the American and even world economy. Many of these corporations became so deeply involved and integrated into the nation's infrastructure, that trying to decide where the corporation ended and the state began, became a largely academic discussion. As a result, the corporations effectively acted as sovereign nations unto themselves. Exploitative and abusive labor practices were the norm, such as with the Vault-Tec Corporation, which had strictly enforced 2.25 minute (135 seconds) bathroom breaks.[99][100] By 2077, Vault-Tec had, according to Galaxy News Network, become known as the most prominent company in America,[Non-game 11] for its role as a provider of nuclear safety solutions in a society where fear of nuclear war ran rampant.

Another mega-corporation was Poseidon Energy. It had a near-monopoly on the energy market in the United States, controlling nuclear power plants, exploitation of remaining oil fields, and even sustainable energy projects, like HELIOS One. It hid its involvement by operation through numerous companies established as fronts to influence and eventually control key industries. It also conducted a slew of its own military research projects, including development and implementation of orbital beam weapons.[101] RobCo Industries was a key robotics corporation that provided robots and other sophisticated electronics to the government and its peers, including the development of Mister Gutsy military robots and even developing dedicated torture automatons.[102] Without oversight or regulation, RobCo also participated in the development of Robobrains, using extracted human brains as central processing units.[103]

The war with China also allowed smaller companies considered vital to the war effort to cut support for their workers by a considerable margin. Workman's compensation was among many staples of labor law suspended as part of the war effort, denying vital support to laborers injured in the course of their work.[104] The deteriorating economy also made it easier for corporations to take advantage not just of their employees, but also of the general public. Big Mountain Research and Development was particularly infamous for luring isolated communities into Faustian pacts, where they agreed to act as test subjects for bleeding-edge technologies - often with disastrous effects.[105]

Another example of collusion was the ability of corporations to advertise directly to members of Congress and the House of Representatives. Companies from Nuka-Cola to the Red Racer tricycle company were able to purchase advertising airtime on the Presidential metro PA system.[106][107]

Although resources acquired from Canada and elsewhere helped the economy, shortages were common. When the first fusion-powered cars were introduced by Chryslus Motors in 2070, the initially limited models were expensive but sold out within days. Supply was limited, as many Chryslus manufacturing facilities were long since converted into making military ordnance.[Non-game 12] These were not isolated incidents, as many factories whose production and sales that were less than adequate were also systematically nationalized. This was the case with Radiation King Assembly Plant 12 in Appalachia, even though they were close to a 100% peak efficiency rating.[108] The process was a quick one; Army engineers arrived, looked at the machinery and questioned the employees about their operation, then they promptly left and began the conversion process.[109] With the rapid transition of the factory, its workers were conscripted and put to work manufacturing ammunition.[110][111] This overproduction was to have the benefit of keeping its workers employed while keeping their morale up, with the added benefit of stockpiling supplies locally should the war go nuclear.[112]

Role in the games

Every game in the series takes place in the former United States:

Appearances

All Fallout games to date have been set exclusively within United States territory, but following the collapse of civilization, in most cases, this territory is now either claimed by other groups or not governed at all. Ruins/relics of now long-defunct government institutions are seen throughout the series.

Newsreel footage of the U.S. Army in action is present in Fallout. The Enclave appear as a major enemy faction in Fallout 2 and Fallout 3 and a handful of retired members appear in Fallout: New Vegas and the Fallout 4 add-on Far Harbor. A simulated, fictionalized representation of the U.S. Army appears in the Fallout 3 add-on Operation: Anchorage. The prologue sequence of Fallout 4 takes place in the United States' final moments before the Great War.

Behind the scenes

  • Fallout Tactics was the only game to provide a price tag for gas prices in the pre-War United States; according to a sign found in the game, U.S. gas prices hovered around $7450.99 per gallon for regular and $8500.99 for premium.[Non-canon 1]
  • According to the Fallout Bible, the United States had a pre-War population of over 400 million people.[Non-game 13]

Gallery

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Boston landmark inscriptions: "Faneuil Hall: Donated to the city of Boston in 1742 by French merchant Peter Faneuil, Faneuil Hall was a commercial hub in colonial Massachusetts. It played a notable role in the American Revolution. Protests against the British Sugar and Stamp Acts that began here led to the doctrine of "no taxation without representation." Later meetings were held here which culminated in the Boston Tea Party. Many of the Founding Fathers met here or gave speeches here (notably Samuel Adams) leading to the building's nickname, "The Cradle of Liberty.""
  2. Vigilant Citizen's Hotline
  3. The Sam Blackwell interview
  4. Executive Order 99066
  5. Project Brainstorm
  6. United States annexation of Canada
  7. American invasion of Mexico
  8. 8.0 8.1 Museum kiosk transcription: "the state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to its east and Russia to the west across the Bering Strait, and the state of Hawaii is in the mid-Pacific. The United States also possesses several territories, or insular areas, scattered around the Caribbean and Pacific."
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Survivalist's rifle inscription: "Lone Branch Arsenal Ontario, USA Territory"
  10. 10.0 10.1 Fallout 4 intro
  11. 11.0 11.1 Boston Bugle building terminal entries; Boston Bugle article terminal, Article 4
  12. National Archives terminal entries; Question Two
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Museum kiosk: "The nation was founded by thirteen colonies of Great Britain located along the Atlantic seaboard. Proclaiming themselves "states," they issued the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The rebellious states defeated Britain in the American Revolutionary War, the first successful colonial war of independence. A federal convention adopted the current United States Constitution on September 17, 1787; its ratification the following year made the states part of a single republic. The Bill of Rights, comprising ten constitutional amendments, was ratified in 1791."
  14. 14.0 14.1 Lone Wanderer: "Why would you do all that over a scrap of paper?"
    Button Gwinnett (robot): "This is no mere scrap of paper, sir|madam. This is the doctrine laid down by my fellow members of the Second Continental Congress. It absolves us of the tyranny of King George the Third of Great Britain. It is perhaps the greatest symbol of this free nation."
    (Button Gwinnett (robot)'s dialogue)
  15. 15.0 15.1 Voice via Tour Bot: "Let us go back hundreds of years. It is the year 1775. For seven years, thousands of British soldiers have camped on this very soil in their orderly rows of tents. Led by General Thomas Gage, they seek to quell the growing tide of Revolution."
    (Tour Bot dialogue)
  16. Boston landmark inscriptions: "Old State House: Built in 1713, the Old State House is the oldest public building in Boston. During the years before the Revolutionary War, this building was a hotbed for the ideas and ideals that would result in revolution. It was here that John Adams said, "the child Independence was born." In 1770, right outside its doors, the Boston Massacre took place where five American colonists died inciting rage against the British occupation. The Old State House was the seat of Massachusetts government until the New State House was constructed in 1798.""
  17. Boston landmark inscriptions: "Granary Burying Grounds: The Granary Burying Grounds were established in 1660 - making it the oldest surviving burial ground in Boston. Many famous Revolutionary War heroes were buried here including: John Hancock, Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, and the victims of the Boston Massacre. In 2031, after the tragic death of Emilia Butler, the city council voted unanimously to have her remains interred here.""
  18. Voice via Tour Bot: "The officers are assembled, General Gage."
    Gage's voice via Tour Bot: "Take care that the soldiers do not plunder the inhabitants, or hurt private property. But we can and must defang them."
    (Tour Bot dialogue)
  19. Boston landmark inscriptions: "Paul Revere House: Built in 1680, this wooden building is the oldest structure in all of Boston. In 1770 this home was bought by famed patriot Paul Revere. Paul Revere dwelled here with his family (including his 16 children) until 1800. Paul Revere was living here when he made his famous midnight ride to Lexington and Concord to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that Redcoats were en route to arrest them and seize the militia weaponry.""
  20. Boston landmark inscriptions: "Old North Church: Built in 1723, the Old North Church is the oldest standing church in Boston. Its 191 foot tall steeple also makes it the tallest church in Boston. On the night of April 18th 1775, Lieutenant Colonel Smith marched with 700 British soldiers to Concord on a mission to disarm the rebels. Using a plan devised by Paul Revere, Robert Newman climbed to the top of this church and lit two lanterns to alert patriots that the Redcoats were coming up the Charles River. Thus inspiring Longfellow's famous verse, "One if by land, two if by sea." The battles of Lexington and Concord that followed would start the American Revolution.""
  21. Preston Garvey: "Well I'll be damned. It's the monument to the original Minutemen. I knew that was somewhere around Concord. That means this right here must be the Old North Bridge. Where the first shots of the American Revolution were fired. I'd call that the best omen I've seen since we left Quincy."
    Sturges: "I don't know what you're talking about, boss, but I'm glad you're happy about it."
    (Preston Garvey and Sturges' dialogue)
  22. Boston landmark inscriptions: "Boston Common: Established in 1634, Boston Common started as a communal grazing ground for cattle until it was made a public park (the oldest in the country). In the year before the Revolutionary War, a thousand Redcoats camped on the Common. The Redcoat brigades that marched on Lexington and Concord departed this very ground.""
  23. Voice via Tour Bot: "So near midnight, Colonel Smith marched with 700 Redcoats to face brave American patriots in the Battle of Lexington and Concord. And thus the Revolutionary War began. Continue on the trail to walk through more of our great city's history."
    (Tour Bot dialogue)
  24. National Archives terminal entries; Question Four and Six
  25. Fallout 4 loading screens: "The Concord Museum of Freedom was a popular tourist destination before the war, and featured historical exhibits ranging from the American Revolution, all the way up to the Battle of Anchorage."
  26. 26.0 26.1 Museum kiosk transcript: "In the nineteenth century, the United States acquired land from France, Spain, Mexico, and Russia, and annexed the Republic of Texas and the Republic of Hawaii. Disputes between the agrarian South and industrial North over states' rights and the expansion of the institution of slavery provoked the American Civil War of the 1860s. The North's victory prevented a permanent split of the country and led to the end of slavery in the United States. The Spanish-American War and World War I confirmed"
  27. Cold Steel comic strip
  28. Rivet City terminal entries; Welcome to the Capital Preservation Society, Monroe Doctrine
  29. 29.0 29.1 29.2 Museum kiosk
  30. Civil War draft poster
  31. Appalachia audio tour stations; Philippi Battlefield Cemetery
  32. Appalachia audio tour stations; Colonel Kelly monument
  33. Appalachia landmarks - Philippi's Cemetery Battlefield
  34. The Lone Wanderer: "What is that stone head?"
    Hannibal Hamlin: "That's Abraham Lincoln, the Great Emancipator. We don't know how it came to be here, but it's fitting, don't you think?"
    (Hannibal Hamlin's dialogue)
  35. The Lone Wanderer: "Sounds dangerous. Where is this place?"
    Hannibal Hamlin: "I want to move all my people to the Memorial site for the great Abraham Lincoln, but I need to know if it's safe. I've heard rumors of Super Mutants infesting that area though. We need to send someone to check that out first."
    (Hannibal Hamlin's dialogue)
  36. Lincoln Memorial
  37. Goodbye
  38. U.S. Declaration of War on Germany
  39. Fallout 4 intro: "In the year 1945, my great-great grandfather, serving in the army, wondered when he'd get to go home to his wife and the son he'd never seen. He got his wish when the US ended World War II by dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki."
  40. Museum of Technology placard: "This is the actual skeleton of Captain Carl Bell who died on May 5, 1961, after his Space Capsule crash-landed. Captain Bell is credited as being the first human in space onboard the Space Capsule Defiance 7, but this has been constantly refuted by both the Soviet Union and China. Defiance 7's flight lasted for a total of 12 minutes and 7 seconds as it achieved one full revolution around the Earth. Donated by Edwina Bell."
  41. Museum of Technology placard: "On July 16, 1969, the Virgo II Lunar Lander 'Valiant 11' became the very first manned space vehicle to touch down on the moon. The Valiant 11's crew consisted of Captain Richard Wade, Captain Mark Garris and Captain Michael Hagen of the USSA. We salute these brave and noble men who took the very first steps on a planetary body other than our own."
  42. Museum of Technology placard: "This unusual flag was recovered from the surface of the moon by the very last manned flight to its surface in 2052. The flag is from the old 'Valiant 12' Virgo III Lunar Lander that touched down November 14, 1969. Its remarkable condition can be attributed due to its construction; the flag is actually made of special materials to withstand the harsh environment of space."
  43. Museum of Technology terminal entries; Delta IX Rocket, Delta IX Rocket Information
  44. 44.0 44.1 44.2 Fallout intro
  45. Museum of History exhibit signage "2052 to Present: The Resource Wars"
  46. Capitol Post terminal entries; Capital Post Top Stories -- July 27, 2052, United Nations Disbanded!
  47. Capitol Post newspaper Saturday, July 27, 2052
  48. Disaster relief outpost terminal entries; terminal
  49. The Vault Dweller: "{112}{}{Tell me about this installation.}"
    ZAX 1.2: "{117}{}{This installation was established in 2055 as a biological research facility for experimental cures of the New Plague. However, in 2071, this facility was placed under United States military command.}"
    ZAX 1.2: "{118}{}{Research into possible cures for the New Plague created the Forced Evolution Virus, which was further developed in an attempt to create a transmittable genetic-engineering virus -- in effect, infectious evolution.}"
    (ZAX.MSG)
  50. Converted munitions factory terminal entries; supervisor's terminal, Supervisor's Notes 02-12-76
  51. South Boston military checkpoint terminal entries; South Boston Checkpoint Terminal, Subject: Dearing and Kennedy
  52. Fallout 4 loading screens: "America in the year 2077 was a land of advanced technological achievements... and terrible civil strife. As in any age, most ordinary people wanted only one thing - a happy, peaceful life. What they got was complete nuclear annihilation."
  53. Robot repair center terminal entries; Desk Terminal, Note from Frank
  54. Vault-Tec headquarters terminal entries; Vault-Tec Employee Terminal, Message 0101C Bathroom Breaks
  55. Vault-Tec headquarters; Vault-Tec Employee Terminal, Message 0099D Vending Machines
  56. Pioneer Scout Badge Exam answers; Atomics Fan
  57. 57.0 57.1 Boston Bugle building terminal entries; Boston Bugle article terminal, Article 2
  58. Future Weapons Today mentions Nanjing
  59. Newscaster: "It would also appear our troops stationed overseas are experiencing some unusual weather, as well. On the Island of Mambajao the nights are cold. Unseasonably so for Southeast Asia. But for the 5th Infantry, that's as comfortable as an Autumn jamboree. All the easier for our mechanized hellcats to drive any screaming Commie meamies right into the Bohol Sea."
    (Newscaster's dialogue)
  60. Disaster relief outpost terminal entries; terminal, Know the Signs!
  61. Neighborly letter
  62. Turtledove Detention Camp terminal entries; Terminal, Intelligence Report, Yang, Wan (alias)
  63. 63.0 63.1 Internment orders
  64. Interrogation rooms within Turtledove Detention Camp
  65. Little Yangtze terminal entries; Little Yangtze log terminal, Log Entry 01
  66. Third Street Municipal building terminal entries; Office of the Treasurer terminal, Inter-Office Email
  67. Capitol Post terminal entries; Capital Post Top Stories -- June 3, 2072, U.S. to Annex Canada!
  68. Capitol Post terminal entries; Capital Post Top Stories -- January 11, 2077, Commies Crushed - Alaska Liberated!
  69. Capitol Post newspaper Monday, January 11, 2077.
  70. Fort Strong terminal entries; General Brock's Terminal, General Brock's Report - June 2076
  71. Newscaster: "And now, our exclusive coverage of the continuing volatile situation with Communist China. Chinese forces may have finally been driven from Anchorage, but the conflict has transitioned into a frighteningly tense stalemate. With diplomacy all but suspended, and conventional warfare taking a historic toll on both sides, many have wondered if the good old U-S-of-A hasn't finally entered into a fight it just can't win."
    (Newscaster's dialogue)
  72. Sierra mission statement
  73. Boston Bugle building terminal entries; Boston Bugle article terminal, Article 3
  74. 74.0 74.1 Captain Maxson's diary
  75. See Great War.
  76. Fallout 4 loading screens: "America in the year 2077 is a land of advanced technological achievements... and terrible civil strife. As in any age, most ordinary people want only one thing - a happy, peaceful life."
    "America in the year 2077 was a land of advanced technological achievements... and terrible civil strife. As in any age, most ordinary people wanted only one thing - a happy, peaceful life. What they got was complete nuclear annihilation."
  77. South Boston military checkpoint terminal entries; South Boston Checkpoint Terminal, Subject: Dearing and Kennedy
  78. Patriot's Cookbook
  79. Cambridge Police Station terminal entries; Cambridge Police evidence terminal, CASE 096-Se: Holbrook Sedition Logs
  80. Poseidon Energy Plant WV-06 terminal entries; Protest camp terminal, Associated Miner's Union
  81. See Appalachia and Automation riots for references.
  82. Sugar Grove terminal entries; SigInt system terminal, ARCHIVES: Index
  83. Boston landmark inscriptions; New State House
  84. Senate orientation letter
  85. Valid ballot
  86. Patient log: Y-17.5
  87. This is also supported by the Red Glare, a weapon developed and prototype exclusively in Hopeville and Ashton – also bearing the 13 star circle.
  88. U.S. Army recruitment posters, Stars and Stripes bandana
  89. See article for details.
  90. 90.0 90.1 The Sam Blackwell interview
  91. President Richardson: "{212}{prs31}{We try to keep ourselves safe and secure from radiation. That's what separates humans - like me - from mutants like you.}"
    The Chosen One: "{214}{}{Enough talk. Time for you to face that great electoral college in the sky.}"
  92. The Whitespring bunker terminal entries; Prototype Power Armor Schematics
  93. Citadel terminal entries; Pentagon library terminal, Project Brainstorm Report
  94. Census taker: "By authority granted under Section 5A Subsection 7.2 of the Patriotic Patriots of America True Patriotism Act, you are drafted to assist the Census."
    (Census taker's dialogue)
  95. Census taker: "You may send complaints with this use of force to the Census Bureau's department of Citizen Complaint and Oversight."
    (Census taker's dialogue)
  96. For example, Project Somnus and Sugar Grove of the United States Navy
  97. Germantown police HQ terminal entries; Terminal, Log Entry #001
  98. DCTA laser firearms protocol
  99. Vault-Tec headquarters terminal entries; Vault-Tec Employee Terminal, Message 0101C Bathroom Breaks
  100. Vault-Tec headquarters; Vault-Tec Employee Terminal, Message 0099D Vending Machines
  101. For references, see Poseidon Energy and related articles.
  102. Mr. Torturers
  103. See Robobrain for references.
  104. Robot repair center terminal entries; desk terminal, Note from Frank
  105. Y-0 research center terminal entries; Terminal, Dispenser Funding Update
  106. Presidential metro public announcement system: "This holiday season, bring home a gift for your child that he or she will cherish for a lifetime... bring home a Red Racer Tricycle."
    (DLC03Margot.txt)
  107. Presidential metro public announcement system: "Please stop by any of the conveniently placed Nuka-Cola machines throughout the Metro and purchase some refreshing Nuka-Cola today!"
    (DLC03Margot.txt)
  108. Converted munitions factory terminal entries; supervisor's terminal, Supervisor's Notes 02-12-76
  109. Converted munitions factory terminal entries; supervisor's terminal, Supervisor's Notes 05-20-76
  110. Converted munitions factory terminal entries; supervisor's terminal, Supervisor's Notes 07-05-76
  111. Converted munitions factory terminal entries; supervisor's terminal, Supervisor's Notes 11-05-76
  112. Converted munitions factory terminal entries; Supervisor's terminal, Supervisor's Notes 01-20-77

Non-game

  1. Fallout Bible 0:
    "2053 The socially transmitted 'New Plague' arises, killing tens of thousands. The United States closes its borders and the first-ever national quarantine is declared. The source of the plague is unknown, but rumors persist that it is a genetically engineered weapon."
    "2062 Despite quarantine measures, the New Plague continues to spread, fueling national paranoia."
    "2073 Sept 15 As China becomes increasingly aggressive with their use of biological weapons, the United States government felt that a countermeasure was needed. The Pan-Immunity Virion Project (PVP) is officially formed and plans are made to begin experiments at the West Tek research facility in Southern California."
    "2077 February FEV Research is leaked to the world through an unknown source. Protests in many major cities and governments around the world, as well as accusations that the US was responsible for the New Plague. FEV is seen as the threat it is and serves only to fuel tensions."
  2. Fallout Bible 0: "2054 In light of the Euro-Middle-Eastern conflict and the plague scare, the United States sets Project Safehouse in motion. The project, financed by junk bonds, is designed to create shelters, called Vaults, for the populace in the event of a nuclear war or deadly plague. Construction begins late in 2054 and proceeds rapidly due to advances in construction technology."
  3. Fallout history marketing picture
  4. Fallout Bible 0: "2059 The Anchorage Front Line is established, as the United States increases its military presence in Alaska to protect its oil interests. The Anchorage Front Line causes tensions in the United States and Canada, as the United States attempts to pressure Canada into allowing American military units to guard the Alaskan pipeline."
  5. Fallout Bible 0: "2059 The first artificial intelligence is born. Limited by memory constraints, its expansion is rapidly halted. The discovery paves the way for future AI research in laboratories throughout the United States."
  6. Fallout Bible 0: "2060 Traffic on the streets of the world stops moving. Fuel becomes too precious to waste on automobiles, so alternatives are explored - electric and fusion cars begin to be manufactured, but factories can only make limited amounts. Pressure on fusion research increases."
  7. Fallout Bible 0: "2066 Spring As the oil resources dry up across the globe, China's fossil fuel dependency causes an energy crisis in the nation. China, bordering on collapse, becomes more aggressive in its trade talks with the United States. Unwilling to export oil to China, talks between the United States and China break down."
  8. Fallout Bible 0: "2067 The first suit of Power Armor is deployed in Alaska. While lacking the full mobility of future versions, this Power Armor is incredibly effective against Chinese tanks and infantry. Its ability to carry heavy ordinanceIn-game spelling, punctuation and/or grammar becomes key in various localized conflicts, and it has the power to destroy entire towns without endangering the wearer. China rushes to create its own versions, but they are many years behind the United States."
  9. Fallout Bible 0: "2074 Contrary to their claims of seeking only to retake Alaska from the Reds, American Power Armor units, infantry, and mechanized divisions are deployed to China, but they become bogged down on the mainland, putting a further drain on American resources and supply lines."
  10. Fallout Bible 0: "2077 March Prepared for a nuclear or biological attack from China, the president and the Enclave retreats to remote sections around the globe and make contingency plans for continuing the war."
  11. Fallout - A Special LIVE Report from Galaxy News news ticker: VAULT-TEC VOTED AMERICAN COMPANY WITH BRIGHTEST FUTURE
  12. Fallout Bible 0: "2070 The first of the Chryslus motors fusion-driven cars are developed. Reassuringly big and American, the limited models carry a hefty price tag but are sold out within days. Many Chryslus plants have long since been converted into making military ordinance.In-game spelling, punctuation and/or grammar"
  13. Fallout Bible 0: "Basically, the Vaults were never intended to save the population of the United States. With a population of almost 400 million by 2077, the U.S. would need nearly 400,000 Vaults the size of Vault 13, and Vault-Tec was commissioned to build only 122 such Vaults. The real reason for these Vaults was to study pre-selected segments of the population to see how they react to the stresses of isolationism and how successfully they re-colonize after the Vault opens."

Non-canon

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