Of Blueprints and Politics:
"Lonely hearts and Sunday School teachers like to say that rain is the tears of God ...
this rain? If it comes from Him, it's not His tears." - Bruce Wayne (Brian Azzarello)
Locations:
Gotham City has been written to be in a variety of places like New York State, Connecticut and Western Massachusetts. Looking past the variety of Crises befalling the DC Universe over the years, I think it's important to consider the varied States of Gotham when thinking back to the "Gotham as every city" concept initiated by Bob Kane. This illustrates the almost total abandonment of Gotham by some Federal but most importantly nearly all State authorities. State's Attorneys/Prosecutors passing capital crimes to the undermanned & grossly underfunded Gotham City D.A.'s office, Gotham being only one of four municipalities in the entire United States having to fund its own entire criminal justice system and State withholding of Federal funding for redevelopment/revitalization projects in key city areas, The Narrows eg., illustrate just a few of the ways Gotham City has been cast aside. In real life, there are only 3 such municipalities that pay for their own CJ system (rather than the State picking up the tab) and Philadelphia is one.
Did these Federal and State practices lead to the city-wide corruption? Or did said corruption lead to these practices? I think one could argue either way ... a chicken/egg conundrum. I personally think Gotham is similar to Philadelphia or the smaller cities of Northern New Jersey in that Conservatives/Republicans tend to get elected to State Assemblies/Governorships during non-presidential election years as voter turnout (largely democratic) among the inner-city populations tends to be lower during these "off" years leading to (generalization ...) cutting off rural & suburban tax monies for city programs/projects forcing a city like Gotham to almost completely fend for itself while facing perennial budget crises save for last-minute wins by former Gotham Mayor Theodore Cobblepot during the turn of the century. This fiscal neglect would also lend to the rise of currupt politicians like former mayor Hamilton Hill whose mob connections seemed almost necessary to keep City Hall running. It almost makes you wonder if the pre-Gordon GCPD wasn't on La Cosa Nostra's payroll, would most of Gotham's 82 branch libraries or 220 public parks, as examples, have ever been built?
Like, Gotham is so totally Jerseylicious:
What we do know is that according to Mike Marts and the DC editorial staff, Gotham City is in fact locatioed in the State of New Jersey in the area of Cape May County. For this project, I'm going to assume the the area of Cumberland & Cape May Counties in South Jersey are actually divided into 3 counties, Cumberland to the West, Cape May County in the center extending into the northern area of the Cape itself and Gotham County taking the south-most eastern shoreline and southern tip of the cape.
I'm not entirely sure yet how I want to situate Pettsburg. I like the idea of The River Liberty defining the northern border of Gotham County, but do I make Pettsburg (or Petts) County? If I did, (not that it really matters) it would have to include the soutwestern areas in Atlantic County. I could also just assume Atlantic borders Gotham County ... but enough about counties already!!!
So knowing now where we're working in, we know that Philadelphia is basically due west of Gotham; NYC to the north, Metropolis to the South (in Del.) and DC, Baltimore, etc. are ... where they actually are. So let's talk a little history.
I'm not really going to regurgitate anything you can read from DC's history of Gotham or by just reading the comics. So, for those who don't know, check it out. It'll take you five minutes and you'll be up to speed on the Miagani Native Americans, Dutch East-India Company, Taylor, Wayne, Savage stuff ...yada yada yada ... just so we're on the same page. If not, that's cool too.
"Bruce Wayne's ultimate challenge - Batman vs. History itself!" - Grant Morrison
This is where I take liberties with Gotham's history. Gotham was first founded in 1609 by European settlers coming to the "New World". Similar to William Bradford's "On Plymouth Plantation", where we learn about the very early history of eastern Massachusetts which would later help develop Boston, Gotham was settled because of its proximity to a natural harbor which was (unlike Plymouth) discovered by Henry Hudson. The European settlers just weren't sure if this settlement was going to work out, so they wanted the option (for those who could afford it) to head back home. Additionally the harbor gave them an easy trade route to similar settlements in Plymouth to the north and Burlington & Philadelphia to the west. Of thehe people that came, and stayed, they farmed both for initial family/community survival and for local/regional trade along the northern East Coast which obviously developed around 1630-1650. The land owners would build their farms out onto the 3 islands but built their town houses close to the harbor in the area we now know as Olde Gotham. It was a place where land owners would send their children and wives during the fall and winter months so that the kids could receive an education as well as socialize with other children while the husbands usually came into town on the weekends both to be with their families, tend to some business in town and that on Sundays, all could go to church. As farm land in the Gotham area became hard to come by around 1655 land ownership near "Gotham Town" was put at an incredible premium which led to the financial fortunes of the Wayne, Taylor and Savage families, three of the first and largest farms surrounding the original settlements.
The English took over the colony from the Dutch in 1664 and named it the Province of New Jersey. The Dutch took it over again for about year in 1673 but upon being regained by the British, New Jersey was split and King Charles II named Gotham the capital of The Province of West Jersey. In one of his final acts as King, King William III (William of Orange) unified the two provinces, a task that was finally completed by Queen Anne in 1703 where the capital was moved to Burlington, the first of many slights against Gotham. Notably, Gotham produced North America's first currupt politician in Edward Hyde, Lord Cornbury who though only stayed in Gotham briefly, wrestled control of both New York and New Jersey provinces after moving to Manhattan before being "called back" to England after significant tax revenue failed to reach her majesties coffers. It was during his tenure that most of the border disputes tended to err on the side of New York.
Next time on Gotham City Perspectives, we'll look at the revolutionary era history of the city moving into that of the Early Republic and what roles Gotham may have played in the development of this "Great and Noble Experiment of these United States". We will also look at and highlight how that development led to Gotham City's current structure of neighborhoods.
Gotham City Perspectives is a Public Broadcasting production made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts, The Wayne Foundation, The Historical Society of New Jersey ... and viewers like YOU!
Yeah, all of a sudden I find myself narrating a PBS show ... I'll get more into that as a motif here later =)
For now I leave you with additional regional development ... its about '07 and we're working with Uptown to start (site of Old Gotham and old Rogers Harbor, etc.)
As always, any questions or discussions (polite dissagreements), suggestions or ... whatever are welcome. =) till next time!
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