Guy Fawkes, born on 13th April 1570 in Yorkshire, is a name almost everyone in the UK will know. After his father’s death in 1579, his mother remarried and it is known the family were then against, and resisting, the authority of the Church of England. Guy Fawkes finally converted to Catholicism when in his mid teens. At this period, religion was a big part of life and Catholicism was not the religion to be in. Catholics were openly persecuted, with harsh punishments. For example, Margaret Clitherow was caught harbouring Catholics and was punished by being crushed to death.
Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators wanted more rights and freedom for Catholics. This led, in 1605, to the gunpowder plot. A lease was taken out on a cellar that lay directly under the House of Lords; this is where the gunpowder was to be placed. Due to an inside leak, an unintentional one, word of the plot got back to the authorities and a trap was set-up to catch the men.
Some of the men died from injuries obtained during their capture, others were executed. By January of the following year, most of the men involved were dead, many executed by the state.
The plot ultimately back-fired, laws were passed preventing Catholics from voting and practising law to name two. It was not until the 19th Century that things changed.
What if Guy Fawkes had succeeded?
Firstly, there would be a chance that we would not even know the name Guy Fawkes; this is assuming the plot was successful and they were never identified or captured. The House of Lords would have been blown apart causing a great deal of death and chaos in the heart of London. It may have even been able to start a great fire, similar to the Great Fire of London.
The explosion would have almost certainly killed all those inside, including the King. Who would have replaced him is uncertain, perhaps one of his sons. The chances are that this would have created sympathy for the Catholics, with the King being the son of a Catholic; hence Catholics are no longer persecuted.
However the repercussions are wider spreading than that. In the aftermath the population show little sympathy for the politicians and attack on parliament, however, the attack on the royals generates a much stronger respect for them. So much so that there the Royalists have no civil war to fight. This lasts to the modern day; however, this has done away with the ability to vote different parties in to power and has ultimately reduced our freedoms and liberties.
Obviously this is a quick look at the history and potential impact it would of had. To find out more about the history of Guy Fawkes, have a look at the BBC website.
