The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 was a
plan to assassinate King James I of England and members of Parliament. The plot
was hatched by a group of English Roman Catholics led by Robert Catesby in
response to the widespread intolerance to Roman Catholicism throughout England
(“Gunpowder Plot”). Following the Reformation, the Penal Laws were passed in
Britain and Ireland, resulting in fines or imprisonment for Catholics, as well as
the denial of civil liberties, such as the ability to vote or own land (“Penal
Laws”).
Thus, Robert Catesby formulated a
plan to kill King James I, in which he would blow up Parliament. Over the
course of a couple years, Catesby joined forces with fellow Roman Catholics
John Wright, Thomas Winters, Thomas Percy, and Guy Fawkes, among many others,
to develop the plot. In May 1604, Percy, who had connections to the ruling
bodies, rented a house next to the House of Lords, and the conspirators soon
began to dig a tunnel, connecting the two buildings. A vault in the cellar of
the House of Lords became available, so Percy rented it. The vault was
subsequently filled with approximately 36 barrels of gunpowder, which was
concealed beneath firewood (Holloway, 9-10).
The explosion was set to occur on
November 5, 1605, the day Parliament was set to open. After the explosion, the
conspirators planned to kidnap both princess Elizabeth and prince Charles.
Catesby and his fellow Roman Catholics were ready to force an unstable
government to agree to their demands and to ultimately take over the country
(“Gunpowder Plot”).
Fortunately for the governing
bodies, the plan was not successful. Several weeks before November 5, an
anonymous letter (most commonly presumed to be written by conspirator Francis
Tresham) was delivered to Lord Monteagle. It read: “as you tender your life, to
devise some excuse to shift your attention at this parliament; for God and man
hath concurred to punish the wickedness of this time... they shall receive a
terrible blow this Parliament; and yet they shall not see who hurts them.” When
King James I returned to London, he was shown the threatening letter, prompting
a search of the Houses of Parliament. In the cellar of the House of Lords, Guy
Fawkes was found posing as a servant of Thomas Percy, guarding the contents of
the vault, which appeared upon first inspection to be firewood. However, later
that night, a second search was conducted, during which the barrels of
explosives were discovered (Holloway, 11).
Fawkes was captured and tortured
until he revealed all the details of the plot. In a standoff with 200 men led
by High Sheriff of Worchestershire Sir Richard Walsh, Wright, Catesby, and
Percy were shot and killed. Winter was wounded and taken into custody, and the
remaining coconspirators were soon caught and hung (Holloway, 12).
Although the conspirators of the
gunpowder plot sought to gain more control for Roman Catholics, the failed
attempt resulted in harsher laws against their religion and greatly hampered
attempts for religious tolerance. In 1606, Parliament made every November 5 Guy
Fawkes Day to express gratitude that the plot failed. The holiday is commonly
observed with fireworks, bonfires, and the burning of effigies of Guy Fawkes
(“Gunpowder Plot”).
“Gunpowder Plot.” Encyclopedia
Britannica, www.britannica.com/event/Gunpowder-Plot.
Holloway, Don. “The Gunpowder Plot.” History Magazine,
vol. 18, no. 4, Apr/May 2017, pp. 8-13. EBSCOhost, www.state.lib.in.us.
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