Remember, remember the fifth of November,
gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder treason,
should ever be forgot.
On the 5th of November in 1605 Guy Fawkes was caught in the cellars of the Houses of Parliament, with more than your average amount of gunpowder. It was clearly not purely for personal use.
England in 1605 was not a good time to be a Catholic. Protestant King James I had succeeded protestant Queen Elizabeth I in 1603, preceded by Catholic Queen Mary I, preceded by Lady Jane Grey (sort of), preceded by protestant King Edward VI, preceded by King Henry VIII; who had essentially kick started the English Reformation in the 1520s so that he could divorce Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn. The pope refused him an annulment or divorce, so the king split from the Roman Catholic Church.
From then on, depending on who was on the throne, the people of England were in for decades of see-sawing between Catholicism and Protestantism being "the one true faith".
To be found to be a "heretic" would not just get you a slap on the wrist, but could result in torture and execution. Some monarchs were more moderate than others; trying not to upset the apple cart too much, and retain good relations with Catholic nations. To live feeling as if you are under constant threat simply for practicing your own beliefs must have been terrible.
The men behind the Gunpowder plot were Robert Catesby, John Wright, Thomas Wintour, Thomas Percy, Robert Keyes, Thomas Bates, Robert Wintour, Christopher Wright, John Grant, Ambrose Rookwood, Sir Everard Digby and Francis Tresham, and most famous of all - Guy Fawkes. They had a plan to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of England's Parliament on 5 November, killing the King in the process. The hope was to instigate a popular revolt in the Midlands, and name James's nine-year-old daughter, Princess Elizabeth, as the Catholic head of state, thus restoring Catholicism to England.
The plot was foiled, and the following January, the "Observance of 5th November Act 1605" was passed, remaining law until 1859. Some of the early celebrations were religious sermons, but bonfire and fireworks were also used.
These days, Bonfire Night is a fun evening of fireworks for family and friends, rather than a celebration of killing Catholics. You'll rarely find a Guy on the bonfire; and it's a good excuse to drink mulled wine, eat chili and hot dogs and play with sparklers.
As a side note, all these events were happening during the time of the Spanish Inquisition (from 1st November 1478 until the surprisingly late date of 15th July 1834). Famously, the Spanish Inquisition (that no one expects), was a very bad thing for the Jewish people. While Catholics were being persecuted and killed in England, Jews were being persecuted and killed in Spain.
For anyone who fancies it, the BBC drama "Gunpowder", with Jo Snow and Mycroft Holmes, can be viewed here.
Perhaps what we should really take away from this, is that religious hatred, and indeed hatred and intolerance of anyone because they are "different" from us, is not a good thing. Respect, compassion and kindness are probably a better code to live by.
Thanks for having a look, and hope you enjoy!