The document known as the Declaration of Rebellion served as a formal announcement of active opposition against the Galactic Empire, directed towards the Galactic Emperor, Sheev Palpatine. Mon Mothma, the exiled Senator and chancellor of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, authored its text, aiming to refute the Empire's characterization of the Rebel Alliance as a band of terrorists. Upon the Galactic Concordance's signing, which signified the end of the Galactic Civil War, the New Republic emerged, and the Declaration became recognized as one of its cornerstones, replacing the fallen Empire.
Following the Galactic Empire's formation in 19 BBY, various insurgent groups launched an armed struggle against the Galactic Emperor, Darth Sidious, and his Imperial government in the subsequent years. Eventually, many of these groups coalesced under the leadership of figures such as Senator Mon Mothma representing Chandrila, Viceroy Bail Organa from Alderaan, and Captain Hera Syndulla hailing from Ryloth. These groups united to establish the Alliance to Restore the Republic. In response to the Empire's depiction of the Rebel Alliance as bloodthirsty anarchists, the Alliance aimed to challenge this perception and clarify that their objective was to reinstate the Galactic Republic that Sidious, publicly known as Emperor Palpatine, had supplanted at the end of the Clone Wars.
To counteract Imperial propaganda, Senator-in-Exile Mon Mothma authored the Declaration of Rebellion. The document served as an indictment of Emperor Palpatine, detailing the Alliance's perspective on his offenses against the galaxy. The Alliance deliberately framed the document using legal language to both validate the rebel cause and underscore the illegitimacy of the Empire. The document emphasized that the Rebellion sought to create a better galaxy, contrary to the Empire's claims of destruction, and highlighted that the Rebellion's proper designation was the Alliance to Restore the Republic.
Mothma disseminated the Declaration of Rebellion from a concealed location via the HoloNet and other communication channels. The message resonated across the galaxy, inspiring the creation of various posters and artworks featuring Mothma's words. While some of this artwork was produced by the Rebel Alliance itself to propagate its message, much of it originated from revolutionaries seeking a unifying message and symbol to rally behind. In the ensuing years, the Galactic Civil War culminated in the Empire's defeat. The Declaration gained recognition as a fundamental document of the New Republic, which assumed power near the end of the war and replaced the Imperial regime.
The Declaration of Rebellion's text initially surfaced in The Rebel Alliance Sourcebook, a 1990 reference work authored by Paul Murphy. The official Star Wars canon incorporated the text in the 2016 reference book, Star Wars Propaganda: A History of Persuasive Art in the Galaxy, by Lucasfilm Story Group creative executive Pablo Hidalgo. The declaration exhibits structural, tonal, and linguistic similarities to the United States Declaration of Independence of 1776, which both drew inspiration from and influenced numerous comparable documents in reality. Notably, The Rebel Alliance Sourcebook features an illustration depicting the declaration's presentation to Mon Mothma and her allies, mirroring the painting The Declaration of Independence.
- Star Wars Propaganda: A History of Persuasive Art in the Galaxy (First pictured)
- Star Wars: Rogue One: Rebel Dossier (Indirect mention only)
- Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide
- Star Wars Helmet Collection 57 (Weapons & Uniforms: Chopper Base — Atollon)
- Star Wars Helmet Collection 71 (Databank A-Z: Zam Wesell–Wexley)
- Star Wars: Scum and Villainy: Case Files on the Galaxy's Most Notorious