In January, the first Jet batches began to appear in Redding as part of a plan by the Mordino family to control the mining city through drugs. By 2241, the situation was slowly approaching a critical phase. The three powers instead decided to make the city align with one of them through agents operating in the city, either planted ones (Painless Doc Johnson) or voluntary supporters (Marge LeBarge and Dan McGrew). Redding was lucky enough to remain far enough away to make a military takeover uneconomical.
Whoever controlled the supply of gold controlled the currency. When the Republic switched to dollars as currency, backing them with gold, the mining city became the key to the trade in the entirety of New California. The geopolitical struggle centered around the town of Redding, the region's primary supplier of gold ore. Tandi also faced opposition to her politics of peaceful expansion, with Vault 15 acting as a proving ground. However, former northern California became an arena where the NCR struggled to dominate its two rivals: Vault City and New Reno. With the situation in the south stabilized, President Tandi intended to expand north. Much of its power was provided by its vast brahmin herds, which provide meat, leather, beasts of burden, and other goods for trade. By 2241, the Republic was the largest economic and political power in the wastelands. As President, Tandi did more to unite the wasteland than any other leader born after the Great war, including rebuilding the pre-War infrastructure to support the growing population, finding new forms of transportation and manufacturing, clearing roads and rail lines, building forts, fostering caravans and trade inside and outside of the Republic, as well as dealing with threats swiftly and efficiently. She continued to serve ten terms, winning all consecutive elections until her death. NCR propaganda posterĪradesh died in 2196 and his daughter was elected unanimously as the NCR's second president. Though the alliance cause some concern in the Hub, ultimately it had little effect on the outcome, as three years later, the Republic was voted into existence as a federation of five states: Shady, Los Angeles, Maxson, the Hub, and Dayglow. The ideals of the NCR would spread throughout California steadfast, with Junktown becoming one of the first provisional states, due to its status as one of Shady Sand's oldest and most trusted trade partners.
The town of Shady Sands changed its name to "New California Republic" and formed a trial council government to draft a constitution. In 2186, Aradesh first proposed the idea of the Republic. This led to the emergence of a national identity movement which gradually gained popular acceptance. As trade routes developed, so did cultural exchange. The village thrived, eventually becoming an economic power within New California.
Aradesh used this opportunity to develop the community. As a result, the small settlement enjoyed a period of peace as raiders gave it a wide berth. In 2161, the Vault Dweller destroyed the Khans, rescuing Tandi in the process.
No one expected that these humble beginning would eventually culminate in the formation of the mighty New California Republic in 2189. While a large portion of the Vault inhabitants that left the overcrowded Vault would band into raider tribes as the winter of 2098 came (marking the beginning of the Khans, Vipers, and Jackals), the remaining vault dwellers would found Shady Sands in the spring of 2122. Closed in 2077, it opened due to population pressure in spring of 2097, releasing its occupants into the wasteland. This pre-War shelter was home to a population composed of people from radically different ethnic and religious backgrounds. The Republic's roots can be traced to Vault 15.