Guy Fawkes Day a history of bonfire night

Time: 1605

What was the Gunpowder Plot?

Every year on November 5th, people all over Britain celebrate Bonfire Night with fireworks, sparklers, and roaring bonfires. But this exciting night remembers a very serious event that happened over 400 years ago — the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.

Back in the early 1600s, King James I ruled England. A secret group of 13 men planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London while the King and his government were inside. They wanted to kill the King and everyone who worked with him.

The men hid 36 barrels of gunpowder underneath the House of Lords — enough to completely destroy the building and cause chaos across London. But before they could light the fuse, their plan was discovered, and the plot failed.

The man guarding the gunpowder, Guy Fawkes, was caught red-handed and became the most famous of all the plotters. Today, we remember his name every Bonfire Night, not because he succeeded — but because his plan was one of the most daring in history.

Why did the Gunpowder Plot happen?

At the time, England was a country divided by religion. King James I was Protestant, and many Catholics (people who followed a different branch of Christianity) felt they were being treated unfairly. They couldn’t worship freely, and some had to pay fines or even go to prison for their beliefs.

A man called Robert Catesby, who was a Catholic, decided that something had to change. He gathered a group of other Catholic men who agreed with him — and together, they came up with a shocking plan: to kill the King and replace him with someone who shared their religion.

They believed that if they destroyed Parliament, they could start again with a new Catholic ruler. But their plan would put many innocent people’s lives in danger.

Punishments for anyone who broke the law or angered the King were very harsh in Tudor and Stuart times — including being hung, drawn, and quartered.

Guy Fawkes was born in York in 1570. He grew up a Catholic and became a soldier. He fought in wars in Europe and learned how to handle gunpowder and explosives, which made him the perfect man for the Gunpowder Plot.

Catesby and the other plotters trusted him with the most important job, guarding the barrels of gunpowder in the cellar under Parliament and lighting the fuse when the time came.

But Guy Fawkes was caught before he could carry out the plan. He instantly became the face of the plot and has been remembered ever since his name has been forever linked to Bonfire Night.

Guy Fawkes sometimes used the fake name John Johnson while working as a servant to hide his true identity. He once signed his name John Johnson when questioned but his handwriting was so shaky from being tortured that it was almost unreadable.

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The plot to blow up Parliament

The plotters began their plan in May 1604, renting a house next to Parliament and later a cellar directly underneath the House of Lords. Over the next year, they secretly moved 36 barrels of gunpowder into the cellar — enough to blow Parliament sky-high!

They planned to strike on November 5th, 1605, the day the King would open Parliament with all his ministers and important people inside. Once the explosion happened, they hoped to kidnap the King’s daughter and make her the new ruler.

Everything was ready… until one letter changed everything.

Historians believe there was enough gunpowder to completely destroy half of central London if it had exploded.
The gunpowder was hidden for so long that when it was finally discovered, some of it had started to rot.

How was the Gunpowder Plot discovered?

Just before the big day, one of the plotters grew worried. He didn’t want his friend, Lord Monteagle, who worked in Parliament, to be hurt. So he sent him an anonymous (secret) letter, warning him to stay away from Parliament on November 5th.

Lord Monteagle showed the letter to the authorities, and soon King James I heard about it. Guards searched Parliament from top to bottom, and in the early hours of the morning, they found Guy Fawkes hiding in the cellar with matches and gunpowder!

The plan had failed. Guy Fawkes was arrested and taken to the Tower of London to be questioned.

What happened to Guy Fawkes and the plotters?

After being captured, Guy Fawkes refused to tell the guards anything at first. He was so tough that it took days of questioning before he gave up the names of the other plotters. Eventually, they were all either killed while trying to escape or arrested and put on trial.

In January 1606, Guy Fawkes and the remaining plotters were sentenced to death for treason. In those times, punishments were very cruel; they were to be hanged (until near death), drawn (have their intestines pulled out), and quartered (body chopped into four pieces), which meant they would be killed in a horrible way as a warning to others.

But before this could happen, Guy Fawkes jumped from the hanging platform, broke his neck, and died instantly.

To make Guy Fawkes confess who else was involved, he was tortured in the Tower of London — one of the most painful punishments ever used.
After Guy Fawkes’ death, his body was cut into four parts and sent to different parts of England as a warning to anyone who might try to rebel against the King.

What is Bonfire Night?

When news spread that the King had survived, people across London celebrated by lighting bonfires to give thanks. The government declared November 5th a national day of celebration, and every year since, people have lit fires and set off fireworks to remember the event.

Over time, Bonfire Night (also called Guy Fawkes Night) became a fun family celebration. People made “Guys” stuffed figures of Guy Fawkes and placed them on top of bonfires. Fireworks were added to represent the gunpowder that never exploded.

Today, we still celebrate with fireworks displays, bonfires, toffee apples, and hot chocolate. It’s a night of fun and colour, but it all began with one man and one very dangerous plan.

Early fireworks were so smoky that people sometimes couldn’t see through the fog, and bonfires used to be piled high with old furniture.
For hundreds of years, children would carry their homemade “Guys” through the streets asking for “a penny for the Guy” which is where the word “guy” for a person comes from.