Gunpowder Plot
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 was a plan to explode the House of Parliament in London, England.
The people who planned this wanted to kill the men of Parliament, along with King James I. They wanted to kill the rulers of England as they were upset at the treatment of catholics at this time. They had 36 barrels of powder placed in the cellar of the Houses of Parliament[1]. The plotters were Robert Gatesby, Thomas Winter, Robert Winter, John Wright, Christopher Wright, Robert Keyes, Thomas Percy, John Grant, Ambrose Rokewood, Everard Digby, Francis Teesham and Thomas Bates. The man who was going to set the gunpowder to blow up was called Guy Fawkes. This plan, however, was discovered by the king.
Some of the plotters escaped to the Midlands but ended up being captured, put on trial and executed by being hanged.
People still celebrate the Gunpowder Plot on Guy Fawkes Night every November 5 in Great Britain and South Africa. They light up the sky with explosions and fireworks, and build large fires (called bonfires) to celebrate the discovery of the plan.
Even now, before the Parliament meets for the first time each year, they search the cellar of the Parliament House. Nobody really thinks they will find gunpowder down there, but they still do it to remember the first plan.
[change] References
The Gunpowder Plot (PDF). Retrieved on 5 November 2008.
