After Elizabeth I died of cancer in 1603, James VI of Scotland also became James I of England. In one of his greatest political achievements, James was the first to refer to the now United Kingdom as "Great Britain."
Used to the Scottish form of government, however, James was soon at odds with the English Parliament. He was also at odds with English Catholics against whom strict laws had been passed. A group of those Catholics decided to strike against both the King and Parliament.
Using the mercenary Guy Fawkes as their "trigger man," Robert Catesby and his like-minded friends concocted a plan to kill King James and members of Parliament. The conspiracy ("The Gunpowder Plot") was aimed at the king because of oppressive anti-Catholic laws he was introducing. The plot was engineered for maximum effect: Blow up the houses of Parliament on opening day, November 5, 1605.
Renting a
vault under the
House of Lords, the
conspirators stored thirty-six
barrels of
gunpowder. (These links are key segments of a BBC documentary on the plot.) Guy Fawkes was hired to set it off when His Majesty, King James I, was opening Parliament. Since the Queen and the heir to the throne would also be present, the entire male line to the throne would be killed. The conspirators would then “install” one of the king’s daughters, Princess Elizabeth, as the new sovereign. The opposition, of course, would heavily influence her.
The plot went awry when one of the conspirators (Francis Tresham) warned a relative (Lord Monteagle) not to attend opening day ceremonies. With such a tip in hand, security was tightened and Guy Fawkes was
caught with incriminating evidence on his person. The king was saved, but the conspirators were in for quick retribution.
Fawkes, who claimed to be Jhon Jhonson,
confessed after he was tortured. (Follow this link to a page of the confession, signed by "Jhon Jhonson.") He also gave up the names of his conspirators.
King James issued proclamations urging all citizens to track down the offending plotters. He offered the reward of 1,000 pounds (a huge sum of money in those days) to anyone who turned in a member of the group. The king even
offered to pardon - and pay - any member of the conspiracy who turned in a colleague.
While some of the ringleaders were killed before trial, others were brought to swift justice. By January, 1606, all remaining plotters had been tried and condemned. The local London newspaper described the gruesome verdicts and public executions.