It describes itself as "a nonviolent citizens' network and think tank opposed to the tyranny of Corporate America and the U.S. government, and committed to the peaceful return of Vermont to its status as an independent republic and more broadly the dissolution of the Union.

"[citation needed] The organization was founded in 2003 by Thomas Naylor (1936–2012),[1][2] a former Duke University economics professor and co-author of the 1997 book Downsizing the U.S.A.[3] A 2010 TIME article featured the Second Vermont Republic as one of the "Top 10 Aspiring Nations".

"[1] In November 2007, Naylor also endorsed the idea of a greater "New Acadia, comprising of Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

[20] In May 2008, Feral House published Thomas Naylor's book Secession: How Vermont and all the Other States Can Save Themselves from the Empire.

[21] In the book he writes about diplomat George F. Kennan being "a major source of inspiration for the Second Vermont Republic.

"[22] A 2010 Time magazine article quoted Naylor as describing the Second Vermont Republic as "left-libertarian, anti-big government, anti-empire, antiwar, with small is beautiful as our guiding philosophy".

"[26] A Time magazine article quoted gubernatorial secessionist candidate Dennis Steele's statement that his first act of office would be bringing Vermont National Guard members home from overseas military deployments.

"[30] In early 2007, an anonymously written blog, using material published by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), revealed that some advisory board members had affiliations with Neo-Confederate groups, such as the League of the South (LOS), resulting in internal and public controversy.

He told a radio audience: "The SPLC is a well-known McCarthy-style group of mercenaries who routinely engage in ideological smear campaigns on behalf of their wealthy techno-fascist clowns.

"[33] However, in response to this controversy, groups such as the Green Mountain Anarchist Collective (GMAC), who were generally favorable to the idea of Vermont secession and an empowered Town Meeting system of self-government, became publicly critical of the organization.