The Imperial Era, alternatively referred to as the Imperial Period, spanned from the Declaration of a New Order in 19 BBY—marking the transformation of the democratic Galactic Republic into the autocratic Imperial government—until the demise of Emperor Palpatine during the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY. This epoch is defined by the rise and subsequent governance of the Galactic Empire, which lends its name to the era. It was also informally known as the Imperial age, the Dark Times, or the Birth of the Rebellion.
The Imperial era was characterized by disparate skirmishes and happenings that unfolded on various rebellious worlds striving to resist the new Empire's authority. This period also encompassed the concluding weeks of the Clone Wars, the Reconquest of the Rim, and the initial stages of the Galactic Civil War, typically regarded as the time preceding the Battle of Endor.
The Imperial Period witnessed the ascendancy of Vader's Fist, the 501st Legion of Imperial stormtroopers, who played a crucial role in suppressing numerous planetary uprisings against the Imperial regime. This was a time when—in the words of a 501st trooper—the galaxy was better suited to protect and maintain an Empire than to create one. The Empire achieved almost complete dominion over the known galaxy, save for a handful of rebellious planets that required subjugation.
This era also highlighted the imposing figure of Darth Vader as the embodiment of the Empire's oppressive rule. Many citizens within the Empire were led to believe that an age of tranquility and affluence had finally arrived, and reports of rebellions, both major and minor, were generally suppressed to prevent further unrest.