2. Were the Gunpowder plotters framed?

3. King James I In 1605, harsh laws were passed against Catholics. Catholic priests ordered to leave country. Catholics began to hatch plots!

4. The plot At the state opening of Parliament, planned for 5 November 1605, a plan was made to blow up King James and the assembled dignitaries and place his daughter Elizabeth, on throne. Hopefully she would be more tolerant towards Catholics. James I’s daughter, Elizabeth of Bohemia, ‘The Winter Queen’

5. Meet the plotters Robert Catesby, devout Catholic, leader of plotters Guido, or Guy Fawkes, soldier, expert in explosives

6. The plans A Early in 1604, Thomas Percy rented a house next to Parliament. The gang tried to tunnel under Parliament, but it filled with water. B Spring 1605, Percy rented a cellar under Parliament. 36 barrels of gunpowder & bundles of wood stored there. Thomas Percy

7. Plan B James & his dignitaries Fawkes & his accomplices The King’s guards Doesn’t this artist think the plotters were framed?

8. What went wrong? Mysterious letter sent to Lord Monteagle … “I warn you … To devise some excuse to shift your attendance at the Parliament … they shall receive a terrible blow this Parliament and yet they shall not see who hurts them “ I warn you … To devise some excuse to shift your attendance at the Parliament … they shall receive a terrible blow this Parliament and yet they shall not see who hurts them I warn you … To devise some excuse to shift your attendance at the Parliament … they shall receive a terrible blow this Parliament and yet they shall not see who hurts them Monteagle receives a mysterious letter

9. How did they catch the plotters? At midnight on 5 November the cellars were searched and they found a man with a watch, matches and a tinderbox in his pocket calling himself John Johnson. Arrested and interrogated in the Tower of London for several days he confessed to being Guido Fawkes and named the other plotters.

10. And the others? The remaining plotters barricaded themselves in Holbeach House near Birmingham. They tried to dry out their remaining gunpowder in front of the fire and not surprisingly it exploded. The king’s troops went to investigate, found the plotters. During a shoot out Catesby and Percy were killed (by same musket shot). The others taken to London and …

11. … were hung, drawn and quartered!

12.  Your task  Read the evidence put before you. Use the task sheet to help you conduct a modern day investigation into the gunpowder plot.  Read the evidence put before you. Use the task sheet to help you conduct a modern day investigation into the gunpowder plot.  Extension task. Act out your investigation for the rest of the class.  Extension task. Act out your investigation for the rest of the class.