Keyword: Gunpowder Plot

The Gunpowder Plot

In 1603, a group began plotting to kill the King and blow-up Parliament. The group was led by Robert Catesby. They were upset with the treatment of Catholics by the newly crowned King James I.

The plotters rented a cellar under Parliament. In 1605, they snuck 36 barrels of gunpowder into the cellar. On November 5th, 1605, a member of the group named Guido "Guy" Fawkes was found in a cellar of the House of Lords with barrels of gunpowder. The plan was foiled when a member of Parliament was warned of the danger. Guy Fawkes was caught in the cellar with the gunpowder.

Guy was taken to the Tower of London to be questioned. In 1606, he was executed for treason. All people involved in the plot were found guilty of treason and later put to death.

Today, in England, November 5th is known as Guy Fawkes Day. It is a day to celebrate the failed attempt to bring down the government.