Discover the secrets of the Gunpowder Plot, from its roots in the Reformation to its real ringleader and mastermind. Discover the context of England in a time of religious and political crisis, take an in-depth look at the nation's first Stuart king, James VI and I, and find out why 13 men - mostly nobles with everything to lose - decided to try to commit regicide in spectacular fashion...
Welcome
THE PLAN
THE GUNPOWDER PLOT • Everyone remembers the fifth of November, but the true story of the men who plotted the gunpowder treason often remains forgotten
A plot unravels • As the plot was uncovered, the men fled their separate ways, clinging to hope of revolution
The Gunpowder conspiracy • Was the plot really a state conspiracy?
RELIGION, REFORMATION & RULE
THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION • How a single act of defiance sparked a wildfire of destruction and religious reform that swept through Europe and changed the world forever
WAGING WAR • Exactly why did a book preaching peace and love divide people against each other?
A Dissenting Manifesto
What’s in a Name? • Breaking from Catholicism
A French Bloodbath • A right royal massacre
Reformation Morphs into Revolution • Spreading the word of change
THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION • In the 16th century, the Protestant Reformation successfully challenged the might of Rome
The Counter-Reformation • When the Reformation came, it was met with a fierce opposition
ENGLAND’S REFORMATION • How doctrinal arguments in the fractious English church led to the creation of separatist groups with their own unique religious ideas
The Marprelate Tracts • In the aftermath of the Spanish Armada’s defeat, the religious debate turned nasty
CATHOLIC HYSTERIA • From 1570 to 1680, Protestant England was besieged by rumours of a Catholic conspiracy. But how much was true, how much was fake news?
Play Your Cards Right with Titus Oates • Higher or lower? An ace of spades or a queen of hearts? How playing cards helped spread the word about Titus Oates’ plot
17th Century Fake News • How fabricated new stories, exaggerated accounts and even fake newspapers helped spread the Popish Plot
REBELS AND RECUSANTS • After the Reformation, the Catholics of England were caught between the rock of their faith and the hard place of increasing state persecution
THE ELIZABETHAN RELIGIOUS SETTLEMENT • For two generations, England had been torn apart by religious disputes. Elizabeth tried to find an accommodation
THE END OF AN ERA • After spending almost five decades as queen, Elizabeth’s glorious reign finally came to an end and gave rise to a new royal dynasty
The ‘Golden Speech’ • Elizabeth’s emotional last stand for her country
Elizabeth’s last letter • Elizabeth remained stubborn even in her final correspondence
THE WISEST FOOL
KING JAMES AT A GLANCE • The first Stuart king of England, James I was loved but renowned for his poor decision-making skills
JAMES I • James I, King of England and Scotland, struggled throughout his reign to create a united and prosperous realm of Great Britain under a Stuart dynasty
The Last King of Scotland
Timeline
THE RISE OF KING JAMES • Taking power in a time of turmoil, King James faced plenty of challenges
Basilikon Doron • James’s definition of kings as ‘little gods’ reflected his conflicts with Scottish noble factions
A Voyage of Misfortune • For years James’s eyes were fixed on the English Crown and that involved careful relations with its current wearer
ENDURING ELEGANCE: THE KING JAMES BIBLE • The King James Bible, conceived as both a religious...