The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 was a failed assassination attempt against King James I by a group of provincial English Catholics led by Robert Catesby who wanted to restore the Catholic monarchy to England.
English catholics had suffered decades of persecution which they hoped would change when James I became King of England in 1603. His mother was a catholic and they hoped the King would grant more religious tolerance to Catholics. He didn't, nothing changed, so in 1605 Catesby and 12 others decided that violent action was the only way to highlight their cause. They planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament, hoping to kill the King, maybe the Prince of Wales and the members of Parliament who were making life difficult for the Catholics.
However as they worked on the plot it became clear that innocent people would be injured or killed. Some of the plotters started having second thoughts and one of them sent an anonymous letter to his friend, Lord Monteagle warning him to stay away from Parliament on the 5th November. The letter reached the King and his forces made plans to catch the conspirators. In the early hours of November 5th the authorities stormed the cellars and found Fawkes with 36 barrels of gunpowder and fuses. If their plan had succeeded it would have been carnage.
Fawkes was arrested and the gunpowder was removed. Such was the relief that the King was safe bonfires were set alight later that night, thus starting the tradition of bonfire night or Guy Fawkes night. The tradition was added to by the burning of an effigy of Fawkes.
∼ Be safe and well∼
Polly x
An early terrorist plot, although that term didn't exist then.
ReplyDeleteHi Debra, yes it would have been. In those days it would have been treason, punishable by hanging.
DeleteNowadays I presume it's impossible to get into the House of Commons cellars because of very tight security. And how on earth did he smuggle in 36 barrels of gunpowder? How could nobody have noticed?
ReplyDeleteNot anonymous!
ReplyDeleteI think in those days it probably would have been easier, also I think some of the plotters were very familiar with the layout of the building and knew a few "hidden entries".
DeleteNewfoundland celebrates bonfire night. PEI doesn’t. People here aren’t aware of it when we mention it.
ReplyDeleteI think it's very much an English thing because of the history surrounding it, but these things travel and become popular further afield.
DeleteI enjoyed this, Polly! I always like to know the history behind the event. Have you ever seen the movie V for Vendetta? A very clever modern retelling of the event.
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo
Hello Amalia, no I haven't see the film but it looks good and I have found it online, so I will watch it later. Thank you for the recommendation x
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