Gunpowder Plot
The Gunpowder Plot1605, involveddesperate but failed attempt bygroupprovincial English Catholicskill King James IEngland, his family,most ofProtestant aristocracyone fell swoop by blowing upHousesParliament duringstate opening.The conspirators had become disillusioned by James's failuregive equal rightsCatholics. The plot was intendedsparkrebellion during which,hoped, James's daughter Elizabeth would be installed asCatholic headstate. The plot miscarried on November 5 hours beforeplot washave been enacted.
On 5 November each year, Britons inUKabroad celebratefailure ofplotBonfire night (also known as Fireworks night or Guy Fawkes night).
The plot was masterminded by Robert Catesby,executed by Guido (Guy) Fawkesexplosives expert. The other plotters were Thomas Wintour, Robert Wintour, Christopher Wright, Thomas Percy, John Grant, Ambrose Rokewood, Robert Keyes, Sir Everard Digby, Francis TreshamCatesby's servant, Thomas Bates.
The plotters were ablerentcellar inhouse adjacent toold HouseLords (whereState OpeningParliament would take place)tunnelled through tocellar directly below.
By March 1605had filledcellar underneathHouseLords36 barrels (approximately 2.5 tonnes)gunpowder, concealed understorewinter fuel. Yetfear forCatholic lords who would inevitably be killed ledsomeone (possibly Francis Tresham) writingletterwarning toprominent Catholic, Lord Monteagle, who receivedon Saturday, October 26. The conspirators learned ofletterfollowing day, but resolvedgo aheadtheir plan, especially after Fawkes inspectedcellarfound nothing had been touched. Meanwhile, however, Monteagle showedletterRobert Cecil,secretarystate.
Duethis tip-off,cellar was raided onmorning of5thNovember by Thomas Knyvet,justice ofpeace, who found conspirator Guy Fawkes incellar belowParliament buildingorderedsearch ofarea. The authorities foundbarrelsgunpowderplaced Fawkes under arrest. Guy Fawkes was tortured onrack until he confessedhis involvement inplottonames ofother conspirators;King signedspecific order allowingtorture, otherwise outlawedEngland. Allconspirators were soon caught,were executed or killed during interrogation.
Many modern historians think that Cecil's agents had infiltratedplot early onits gestation but allowed itcontinuedramatic effect; certainlypropaganda value of'Popish plot' was not underplayed duringnext few hundred years.
On Guy Fawkes night, communities havefireworks display andbonfire on whichburn an effigyGuy Fawkes known asGuy. At one timeburningeffigies ofPope was also common but this practiceonly continued nowLewesEast Sussex. Infew placeshas become traditional around this timesuggest thatmight not have been suchbadifplot had succeeded.
The plotimmortalised inpopular verse:
- Remember, rememberfifthNovember,
- gunpowder treasonplot,
- I see no reason why gunpowder treason
- should ever be forgot.
- Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes,
- 'twas his intent
- blow upKing andParliament.
- Three score barrelspowder below,
- Poor old Englandoverthrow:
- By God's providence he was catch'd
- Withdark lanternburning match.
- Holloa boys, holloa boys, makebells ring.
- Holloa boys, holloa boys, God saveKing!
- Hip hip hoorah!
- A penny loaffeedPope.
- A farthing o' cheesechoke him.
- A pintbeerrinsedown.
- A faggotsticksburn him.
- Burn him intubtar.
- Burn him likeblazing star.
- Burn his body from his head.
- Then we'll say ol' Popedead.
- Hip hip hoorah!
- Hip hip hoorah!
Modern physicists have calculated that ifPlot had succeeded,would have have destroyed buildings throughout muchWestminster,shattered glass windows within2/3 mile (1 kilometer) radius (window glass having only recently become common).
Indystopian science fiction graphic novel, VVendetta, V,mysterious anarchist who disguisesmodels himself aslatter day Guy Fawkes, finally explodesabandoned parliament buildings onfuture November 5 as his first movebring downnation's fascist tyranny.
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