During the American Revolutionary War, Gotham City was the site of a major battle and rumors held it to be the site of various occult rites.
To an extent, this mirrors the history of many American cities that changed hands over the course of time. According to Moore's tale, a Norwegian mercenary founded Gotham City in 1635 and the British later took it over. In Swamp Thing #53, Alan Moore writes a fictional history for Gotham City that other writers have generally followed. 4 Notable Areas, Landmarks, Institutions and Businesses.3.2 Officers of the Law in the Comic Books.
