November 5: Guy Fawkes Day
Prayer Idea
Pray for people who are trying to stop assassination attempts.
History Note
King Henry VIII broke away from the Roman Catholic Church, and led the establishment of the Church of England in 1534. For centuries after this, there was simmering tension—and sometimes violence—between Protestants and Catholics in Great Britain (and Ireland).
Guy Fawkes was born in 1570, during the reign of Henry’s daughter, Elizabeth I. Though Fawkes’s parents were Anglican, some of his relatives were secret Catholics. After the death of his father, Fawkes’s mother married a Catholic man, and Fawkes became Catholic also. He fought in the Netherlands with the Catholic army of Spain.
During his time in Spain, he met an Englishman who was planning a plot against the English monarchy. James I became king in 1603, and Fawkes returned to England in 1604.
The conspirators planned to put explosives under the Parliament building in London. King James was attending a ceremony on November 5, 1605. They hoped to detonate the explosives that day and kill the king. Because of his military experience, Guy Fawkes was the one designated to light the fuse.
An anonymous letter warned the British government about the plot. Guards searched the Palace of Westminster on the night of November 4. Early in the morning of November 5, they discovered Guy Fawkes in a cellar with matches, a fuse, and barrels of gunpowder.
Facing torture in the Tower of London, Fawkes eventually named his co-conspirators. Several were killed resisting arrest, and the others, including Fawkes were executed.
In 1606 James I and Parliament authorized the Observance of 5 November Act, which called for special church services annually on November 5. Though that act was repealed in 1859, British people continue to observe Guy Fawkes Day on November 5—somewhat ironically, with bonfires and fireworks.
Children in Wales prepare to celebrate Guy Fawkes Day on November 5, 1954. Image courtesy the National Library of Wales / CC BY-SA 4.0.
Learn More
Review the history of Guy Fawkes and how November 5 is observed today.
Find more resources at Homeschool History.
