The traditional rhyme goes: "Remember, remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot. We know no reason why gunpowder treason should ever be forgot."
The above ditty offers a synopsis of one of the most important events in British history which took place in 1605. This was the attempt by Guido (or Guy) Fawkes and his group of Catholic rebels to blow up the Houses of Parliament on the day that the king of the time, James I, was due to preside over the official state opening.
Fawkes was attempting to make a spectacular protest against the monarchy refusing to recognise other religions with the chief aim of killing the king and bringing down the government. The plan was to dig a tunnel under the Houses of Parliament and smuggle in the gunpowder, blowing the building and its occupiers up on the 5th November.
However one of the conspirators, Francis Tresham, got cold feet and made it known that something was afoot to his brother-in-law, who was due to attend the state opening. The authorities were informed and Guy Fawkes was caught red-handed in the cellar below Parliament amid several barrels of gunpowder.
All of those involved in the plot were found guilty of treason and sentenced to death - they were executed opposite the Houses of Parliament on 31st January 1606. From that time onwards it became tradition for children to make effigies to burn on bonfires. But initially these figures were not based on Guy Fawkes but on the Pope. It wasn't until the early 1800s that people started to base their effigies on Mr Fawkes instead, pushing said figure around town and touting for 'a penny for the guy'.
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