The Gunpowder Plot
Extended Essay
The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 has come to be known as Britain’s greatest conspiracy. If it had succeeded, many say it would’ve been one of the greatest terrorist plots ever. However, the Oxford Dictionary’s definition of terrorism is “the unofficial or unauthorized use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims”. While many may argue that this is what the gunpowder plot was, it was actually an attempted coup, not a campaign of terror and violence. The plot was led by Robert Catesby. He and his fellow plotters were Catholic, and as this was after England’s break from the Catholic Church, Catholics in England were discriminated against. They had expected King James to be more tolerant of them, as his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, was a Catholic. He was, in fact, the opposite, and inconsistent in his early promises. Catholic discrimination was common and Catholic priests were ordered to leave England. This angered many Catholics and led to a plot to kill King James by blowing up the Houses of Parliament.
In 1603, after 45 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth I was dying. People believed her successor would be James VI of Scotland. This gave hope to the Catholics. During Queen Elizabeth’s reign, they had been discriminated against, repressed and severely persecuted for many years. Catholics were forbidden to hear mass and forced to attend Protestant services making their lives “painful, powerless and poverty stricken”(s1). The Act of Uniformity prohibited the Catholic faith in England. Those who refused to attend services in the Church of England were declared recusants and charged high fines. But the news of James as a potential new King excited the Catholics. His mother and wife, Queen Anne of Denmark, were both Catholic and his early actions were encouraging. Upon becoming James I of England, the new king stopped the payment of recusancy fines. He also awarded posts to known Catholic sympathisers. This gave the Catholics the
The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 has come to be known as Britain’s greatest conspiracy. If it had succeeded, many say it would’ve been one of the greatest terrorist plots ever. However, the Oxford Dictionary’s definition of terrorism is “the unofficial or unauthorized use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims”. While many may argue that this is what the gunpowder plot was, it was actually an attempted coup, not a campaign of terror and violence. The plot was led by Robert Catesby. He and his fellow plotters were Catholic, and as this was after England’s break from the Catholic Church, Catholics in England were discriminated against. They had expected King James to be more tolerant of them, as his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, was a Catholic. He was, in fact, the opposite, and inconsistent in his early promises. Catholic discrimination was common and Catholic priests were ordered to leave England. This angered many Catholics and led to a plot to kill King James by blowing up the Houses of Parliament.
In 1603, after 45 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth I was dying. People believed her successor would be James VI of Scotland. This gave hope to the Catholics. During Queen Elizabeth’s reign, they had been discriminated against, repressed and severely persecuted for many years. Catholics were forbidden to hear mass and forced to attend Protestant services making their lives “painful, powerless and poverty stricken”(s1). The Act of Uniformity prohibited the Catholic faith in England. Those who refused to attend services in the Church of England were declared recusants and charged high fines. But the news of James as a potential new King excited the Catholics. His mother and wife, Queen Anne of Denmark, were both Catholic and his early actions were encouraging. Upon becoming James I of England, the new king stopped the payment of recusancy fines. He also awarded posts to known Catholic sympathisers. This gave the Catholics the