Gunpowder Plot 

(1605)

The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 was a failed conspiracy by a group of English Catholics to assassinate King James I of England and blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament. 

A contemporary engraving of eight of thirteen conspirators

King James VI/I

The plot was born out of a complex mix of religious, political, and social factors. England had undergone a series of religious conflicts and changes during the 16th century, leading to the establishment of the Church of England as a separate entity from the Roman Catholic Church. The country was predominantly Protestant, and Catholics faced discrimination and restrictions under the reign of King James I. As a result, dissatisfaction rose and a desire for greater religious tolerance grew among the English Catholics. 

The main figure behind the plot was Robert Catesby, a devout Catholic who felt that violent action was necessary to protect the interests of Catholics. He recruited a group of conspirators, which included Guy Fawkes, Thomas Percy, John Wright, Thomas Wintour, and others. Fawkes was given the task of actually igniting the gunpowder beneath the House of Lords.

Robert Catesby (1572-1605)

Guy Fawkes (1570-1605)

The primary purpose of the plot was to assassinate King James I and other Protestant leaders by detonating barrels of gunpowder hidden in the cellars beneath the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament on November 5, 1605. The conspirators hoped that this act would cripple the Protestant government and pave the way for a Catholic uprising that would eventually restore them to power in England. 

Unfortunately, the plot was foiled on the night of November 4-5, 1605, when an anonymous letter was sent to William Parker, 4th Baron Monteagle, a Catholic nobleman, warning him to stay away from Parliament. 

The letter sent to Monteagle 

The letter was then passed on to authorities, leading to a search of the cellars beneath the House of Lords. Guy Fawkes was discovered guarding the barrels of gunpowder and was subsequently arrested. The others were arrested too, and then tried and executed for treason. Guy Fawkes and several other key figures were executed by hanging, drawing and quartering in January 1606. Furthermore, the plot led to more persecutions and discrimination of the English Catholics.  

The execution of the conspirators