In 1605, a gang of men led by Robert Catesby plotted to kill King James I and blow up the Houses of Parliament in London by hiding 36 barrels of gunpowder in the basement. Guy Fawkes was tasked with lighting the fuse but their plot was discovered after an anonymous warning letter was sent to Lord Monteagle. Soldiers found Guy Fawkes in the cellar next to the gunpowder and he was arrested, tortured, and executed along with seven other conspirators for high treason. The failed Gunpowder Plot is still remembered in Britain each year on November 5th with fireworks and burning effigies of Guy Fawkes on bonfires.

1. BONFIRE
NIGHT

2. November 5th 1605
Houses of Parliament

3. November 5th 1605
In 1605 King James
1 was the King of
England. Not
everybody in
England liked him.

4. For more than a year a gang of
men had been secretly plotting to
kill the king in a huge explosion the
day the parliament opens.

5. The gang's plan was called
the Gunpowder Plot.

6. Robert Catesby was the
leader of the
GUNPOWDER PLOT

7. The plotters recruit Guido
Fawkes, an explosives expert.

8. They put 36 barrels of
gunpowder in the basement
of the Houses of Parliament
on November 5th.

9. Lord Monteagle, an
MP receives a
letter, warning him
to not attend the
Opening of
Parliament.

10. Monteagle shows letter to
Robert Cecil who shows it
to the King.

11. Guy Fawkes was in the
cellars, he needed a lantern to
light his way. Amazingly, that
very lantern has survived 400
years.

12. King orders search of the
cellars. Soldiers found Guy
Fawkes and arrested him.

14. He refused to answer most
of their questions and
made it very clear that he
didn't have any regrets at
all.

16. Guy Fawkes was tortured
until he confessed to trying
to blow up the Houses of
Parliament.

17. His confession

18. Eight of the plotters,
including Fawkes, were tried
in court in London and
sentenced to death for
treason.

20. Every year on November 5th
British remember the
gunpowder plot.They have
fireworks outside.

21. They burn bonfires and put
a model of Guy Fawkes on
top. They remember how
his plan failed.