Roach City was formed in 1843 incorporating the three existing Hollows of the Purify (Graves' End, Nohaven, Dogsbody) into a mayoral government. Roach City, serving as the capital and namesake of the Commomwealth of Roach City, would continue to grow with the addition of Highborn in 1867, and the annexation of Scarlet Pointe in 1937.

Roach City's origins grew out of a group's desperate escape from puritanical injustice. As a result, the original settlers who broke away from the colonies, began their own society, and instituted a code of tolerance, where all were accepted regardless of their beliefs. It was this code that helped to catapult the early growth of Roach City, as men and women of all persuasions flocked to a land outside of judgement. As generations passed, this code would eventually give way to the ugly side of human nature, but it was this code that set the stage for a city rich in religous and cultural diversity.

Considered by much of the United States to be a city of undesirables, Roach City has always been resistant toward its national government. The feeling is apparently mutual being that the Commonwealth, despite its considerable population, has never been offered the gesture of statehood. Nor has Roach City Commonwealth been offered seats within Congress or the Electoral College. As a result, the citizens of Roach City are effectively excluded from having a voice in national politics. This fact causes many of Roach City's wealthiest home owners to hold official residence within nearby states.