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  • Essay / The Gun Powderplot - 1118

    In the early 1600s in England, King James ruled the country. King James was named successor to Queen Elizabeth I, whose reign extended from 1558 to 1603. During Elizabeth's reign over England, she enacted laws that were very harsh towards those who practiced Catholicism. Many had hoped that the anti-Catholic laws would change or even be overturned under King James I, whose wife was Catholic, but this did not prove true. Not only did he “maintain old religious laws restricting Catholic worship, but he even put new ones in place” (Barrow). Since Catholic laws became stricter, people like Guy Fawkes decided to rebel and carry out a plan that would later be known as the Gunpowder Plot. James further angered the Catholic population when he ordered Catholic priests to leave England. By 1605, tensions were beginning to build and people were plotting to depose the king. Unrest and rebellion grow among some Catholics, and they hatch a plan to remove King James from the throne. The conspirators wanted to kill James and put his daughter Elizabeth on the throne. (Trueman) Under the advice of those close to him, such as his espionage expert, Sir Robert Cecil, and in an effort to please more extremist Protestants such as the Puritans, James once again increased sanctions against those who still practiced Catholic religion. Anger grew to the point that some Catholics were willing to take extreme measures and had support from other Catholic royalty in other parts of Europe. At least two attacks on King James had already "failed when a group of men met at a London inn to discuss a new strategy" (Ford). They spoke of a new strategy to carry out a plot to kill not only the king of England, but also all the m...... middle of paper ... from their graves and beheaded. In the aftermath of the plot, James I was "in no mood to show tolerance. New laws were passed removing Catholics' right to vote and restricting their role in public life. It would be another 200 years before these restrictions be completely lifted" (Greenspan). Due to the fact that King James had made Catholic laws stricter, Guy Fawkes gave his rebellion plan. With the survival of King James, the British still celebrate the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot today. November 5 is celebrated as Guy Fawkes Day and has become a time for gathering with friends and family, setting off fireworks, lighting bonfires, attending parades and burning effigies or stuffed dolls of Fawkes. Children circled around their effigies, begging for a "penny for the guy" (a custom similar to Halloween) and imploring the crowds to "remember, remember November 5 ».'.