In order to understand the reasons why the Gunpowder plot occurred the historical background of the event needs to be discussed. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1st there was tension between Catholics and Protestant in England. Catholics were persecuted for their religious beliefs and would be subjected to imprisonment, received harsh fines for those who did attend a protestant church on Sundays or holy days and many were tortured. Due to this turmoil Catholics practiced their religion …show more content…
By then 36 barrels of gunpowder were in place in the storeroom, under the watchful eye of Guy Fawkes. Although the government had suspicion of a plot taking place on October 26th an anonymous warning was given to a Catholic nobleman, Lord Monteagle, a Catholic M.P. who was the brother in law of one of the plotters named Francis Tresham. The letter warned him not to attend the opening of Parliament as “they shall receive a terrible blow”. Monteagle immediately passed the letter to Chief Minister Robert Ceil of Salisbury and he showed to the King. On the morning of 4th November the King ordered to check the cellars, they found a pile named Johnson, they did a second search and found the gunpowder and Johnson was arrested. Johnson was Tortured in the Tower of London, admitted to his real name being Guy Fawkes and four days later he confessed to the plot. The soldiers went to where the plotters were hiding in Staffordshire the conspirators refused to surrender Catesby, Percy and Wright and John Wright were shot dead. Everard Digby was the only conspirator to plead guilty and gave several reasons for his involvement in the Gunpowder plot. This included his religious beliefs and the King’s failed promises in regard to religious tolerance. The survivors including Hawkes were tried for high Treason at Westminster Hall, the conspirators were found guilty and were sentenced to death. On the 30th and 31st January 1606, the plotters were hung, drawn and