Gunpowder Plot
English Catholicism already began to fade within the first years of the Stuart era. This is partly due to the plot of Catholics who tried to blow up the English Parliament on the day of its opening on 5 November 1605.
What Happened
An oppositional group of Catholics planned to blow up the Parliament and with it the whole political elite of England. A group of ….hit gunpowder in the cellars under the Parliament. But the plot was discovered before something could happen.
Who was involved
The main plotter was Guy Fawkes, a professional blaster. He was the son of a Protestant solicitor, who converted to Catholicism and who was finally executed in 1606, after he had served under the Spanish troops in the Netherlands.
Effects
Although this was just an individual action of some fanatics, it had a remarkable effect on England’s public opinion. Catholicism became something dubious and evoked thoughts of murder and assassination. English Catholics, who were involved in numerous political intrigues and conspiracies under the reign of Elizabeth, withdrew from politics after the Gunpowder Plot had failed.
Sources
- Haan, Heiner; Niedhart, Gottfried. Geschichte Englands vom 16. bis zum 18. Jahrhundert. München: C.H.Beck, 1993.