The Gunpowder Plot

 Remember Remember the Fifth of November:

During the late 16th and 17th century, Catholics made several assassination attempts against Protestant rulers in Europe and in England. 
The Gunpowder plot, also called Gunpowder Treason Plot or the Jesuit Treason.   It's a better example of this model.  Considered one of the most audicious "terrorist" act ever done against the crown of england, which  principal aim was to kill King James I,monarch's nearest relatives and members of the Privy Council.  

Protestant Opression: Henry's daughter,Elizabeth I, responded to the growing religious divide by introducing the Elizabethan Religious Settlement(everyone appointed to a public church had to swear allegiance to the monarch as head of the Church and state)  The penalties for refusing the settlement were harsh and cruel, insubordinates risked imprisonment or execution.  Catolicism became marginalised and persecuted.  King James I, the scottish succesor of Queen Elizabeth was more moderate and even tolerant in comparison with his predecessors,he believed that exile was a better solution than capital punishment.

Gunpowder, Treason and Plot: Robert Catesby, a man of distinguished lineage led the plot.   In May 20, year 1604, he organized the first meeting at the "Duck and Drake"inn, Thomas Wintour, and John Wright were in attendance, joined by Guy Fawkes, and Thomas Percy. In privacy the five conspirators received the Eucharist, and swore of secrecy on a prayer book.  Originally the plotters had planned to tunnell under the foundation of the westminster palace to do that they purchased the lease of an undercroft,owned by John Whynniard.  Since the old palace was easily accesible, taking the 20 gunpowder barrels to the ground floor( which  was directly beneath the first-floor House of Lords) was made with ease. Guy Fawkes was in charge of the gunpowder ignition, he would light the fuse and then run away across the Thames, while simultaneously a revolt in the Midlands would help to ensure the kidnapping of Princess Elizabeth. Fawkes would leave the continent, to explain events in England to the European Catholic powers. 

Monteangle Letter and Discovery: On October 26th the plot was given away by an anonymous letter sent to a Catholic nobleman Lord Monteagle.  Uncertain of the letter's meaning he immediatly took it to the court.  In November 1st the letter was shown to King James,who felt that it hinted at some "strategem of gunpowder and fire",perhaps an explossion (like the one that killed his father).   According to king's version the fisrt searching on parliament was made in November 4th's evening, they found a large pile of firerwood in the undercroft beneath the House of Lords accompained by Fawkes who they pressumed was a serving man,he assured his name was "John Johnson" and the firewoods were property of his master Thomas Percy. They left to report their findings, at same time Fawkes also left the building.  The King insisted that a more thorough search should be performed.  Late that night, the search party, headed by Thomas Knyvet, returned to the undercroft and then they came across Fawkes once more,but this time they arrested him and took him to the tower of London, where he was interrogated and tortured.  After two days of torture,in November 7th, he started to name some of the ones who where involved along with him,and in November 9th he implicated Francis Tresham as the last conspirator of the plot.  Finally he was judged and executed in January 31st 1606, his corpse was dismembered and distributed to "the four corners of the kingdom" to be displayed as a warning to other would-be traitors.

Nowadays english men celebrate the Guy Fawkes' Night where they burned a symbolical Guy Fawkes.   The 'guys' are made by children by filling old clothes with crumpled newspapers to look like a man. Tradition allows British children to display their 'guys' to passers-by and asking for " A penny for the guy".   The Nursery poem,"Remember, remember the fifth of November" was made to ensure that this crime would never be forgotten.