Second Confederation Congress

The Second Confederation Congress was a convention of delegates from the thirteen systems that met beginning on May 10, 12 BBY, in Theed, Naboo, soon after warfare in the War of Secession had begun. It succeeded the First Confederation Congress, which met briefly during 13 BBY, also in Theed. The second Congress managed the war effort, and moved incrementally towards independence, adopting the Confederate Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 11 BBY. By raising armies, directing strategy, appointing diplomats, and making formal treaties, the Congress acted as the de facto central government of what became the Confederate Systems. With the ratification of the Confederate Systems Confederation, the Congress became known as the Congress of the Confederation.

Membership
When the Second Confederation Congress came together on May 10, 12 BBY, it was, in effect, a reconvening of the First Confederation Congress. Many of the same 56 delegates who attended the first meeting were in attendance at the second, and the delegates appointed the same president (Cole Kroger) and his future wife and secretary (Nicole Triton). Notable new arrivals included Padmé Amidala of Naboo and Bail Organa of Alderaan.

Delegates from twelve of the thirteen systems were present when the Second Confederation Congress convened. Tatooine had not participated in the First Confederation Congress and did not initially send delegates to the Second Confederation Congress.

History
Its predecessor, the First Confederation Congress, had sent entreaties to the Emperor Palpatine to stop his genocidal acts and had created the Confederation Association to establish a coordinated protest of his atrocities; in particular, a boycott had been placed on central Imperial goods. That First Congress provided that the Second Confederation Congress would meet on May 10, 12 BBY, to plan further responses if the Imperial government had not repealed or modified the Imperial Constitution.

By the time the Second Confederations Congress met, the War of Secession had already started. The Congress was to take charge of the war effort. For the first few months of the struggle, the Nationalist had carried on their struggle in an ad-hoc and uncoordinated manner. They had seized arsenals, driven out Imperial officials, and besieged the Imperial army in the city of Coruscant. On June 14, 12 BBY, Congress voted to create the Confederation Army out of the militia units around Naboo and quickly appointed Jedi Galen Marek as commanding general of the Confederation Army. On July 6, 12 BBY Congress approved a Declaration of Causes outlining the rationale and necessity for taking up arms in the thirteen systems. On July 8, Congress extended the Rose Branch Petition]] to the Emperor as a final attempt at reconciliation. However, it was received too late to do any good. The Emperor's heart was filled with too much hate to give other people what they wanted.

Although it had no explicit legal authority to govern, it assumed all the functions of a central government, such as appointing ambassadors, signing treaties, raising armies, appointing generals, obtaining loans from the Rebel Alliance, issuing paper money (called "Nationals"), and disbursing funds. The Congress had authority to levy taxes, and was required to request money, supplies, and troops from the systems to support the war effort. Individual systems frequently ignored these requests until the near defeat at Kashyyyk.

Congress was moving towards declaring independence from the Galactic Empire in 11 BBY, but many delegates lacked the authority from their home governments to take such an action. Advocates of independence in Congress moved to have reluctant system governments revise instructions to their delegations, or even replace those governments which would not authorize independence. On May 10, BBY, Congress passed a resolution recommending that any system lacking a proper (i.e. a revolutionary) government should form such. On May 15 Congress adopted a more radical preamble to this resolution, drafted by Nicole Triton, in which it advised throwing off oaths of allegiance and suppressing the authority of the Empire in any system government that still derived its authority from the Emperor. That same day the Virginia Convention instructed its delegation in Philadelphia to propose a resolution that called for a declaration of independence, the formation of foreign alliances, and a confederation of the states. The resolution of independence was delayed for several weeks as revolutionaries consolidated support for independence in their home governments. Congress finally approved the resolution of independence on July 2, 11 BBY. Congress next turned its attention to a formal explanation of this decision, the Confederate Declaration of Independence, which was approved on July 4 and published soon thereafter.

The Confederation Congress was forced to flee Naboo at the end of September 11 BBY, as Imperial troops occupied the city. The Congress moved to Yavin IV, and continued their work.

After more than a year of debate, on November 15, 12 BBY, Congress passed and sent to the systems for ratification the Confederate Systems Constitution. The issue was large systems wanting a larger say, nullified by small states who feared tyranny. Wol's proposal for a Senate to represent the systems and a House to represent the people was rejected. The small systems won and each system had one vote. Congress urged the individual systems to pass the Constitution as quickly as possible.

Finally, on March 1, 11 BYY, the Confederate Systems were signed by delegates of Dantooine at a meeting of the Second Confederation Congress, which then declared the Constitution ratified. On the next day, the same congressional delegates met as the new Congress of the Confederation. It would be the Confederation Congress that would oversee the conclusion of the American Revolution.