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h T
o w p d n er P u G e l
The
Gunpowder Plot
ot THE GUNPOWDER PLOT
The Gunpowder Plot changed the course of English history for centuries. Why did a group of men want to blow up parliament in the first place, and what went so wrong?
An information book collins.co.uk/collinsbigcat
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The
Gunpowder Plot
Contents 1 Introduction
2 13 Capture!
26
2 Henry VIII
4 14 On the run!
28
3 Hard times for Catholics 4 The reign of James I 5 Creating change
15 The confession 6 16 The last stand 8 17 Put to death
30 32 34
7 A plan is formed
10 18 A day to remember 36 12 19 Bonfire Night 38 14 20 Guy Fawkes
8 The plan
16
9 The countdown
18 Glossary
44
20 Index
45
6 Meet the plotters
10 The date is set
and protest
11 The Monteagle letter 22 A timeline 12 4th November
42
46
24
Written by Ciaran Murtagh
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1 Introduction It’s just after midnight, 5th November 1605, and a young man is hiding in a cellar under the House of Lords with 36 barrels of gunpowder. His aim is to kill the king, James I, and blow up parliament. What happens next will set the course of English history for over 200 years. His name is Guy Fawkes.
2
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But how did he get there? Why did he want to blow up the king? And did he get away with it? To answer these questions, let’s go back to 1534 when another king, called Henry VIII, had just founded the Church of England.
Henry VIII
3
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2 Henry VIII In 1534, England had been a Catholic country for nearly 1,000 years. However, during the early 1530s, Henry VIII fell out with Pope Clement VII, head of the Catholic Church.
Henry VIII
Pope Clement VII
Henry wanted to find a new wife. To do that, the Pope had to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. When the Pope refused, Henry VIII created the Church of England and made himself its leader. Now, he could divorce Catherine. 4
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Catherine of Aragon Many Catholics in England changed their religion too, but some were not happy with what Henry VIII was doing. They wanted things to go back to the way they were. How do you think Catholics felt about changing their religion because the king wanted a new wife? Were they right to be unhappy? 5
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3 Hard times for Catholics Throughout the reigns of Henry VIII and later his daughter Elizabeth I, life became more difficult for Catholics in England. Catholics were fined for not attending Church of England services. It became harder for Catholics to hold positions of power and they had to worship in secret. Catholics hoped that Mary, Queen of Scots, a Catholic cousin of Elizabeth I, might take the throne and change things back, but in 1587, she was executed by Elizabeth to stop that happening. After the Spanish Armada in 1588, when Spain (a Catholic country) tried to attack England, Catholics were viewed as enemies of the state by many. Was this view justified? How do you think it made Catholics feel?
Elizabeth I
Mary, Queen of Scots
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The Spanish Armada was a fleet of warships
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Plus
White Plus Band 10+
h T
o w p d n er P u G e l
The
Gunpowder Plot
ot THE GUNPOWDER PLOT
The Gunpowder Plot changed the course of English history for centuries. Why did a group of men want to blow up parliament in the first place, and what went so wrong?
An information book collins.co.uk/collinsbigcat
85627_Cover.indd 1
Ciaran Murtagh 28/10/2021 10:38
