The Gunpowder Plot: Terror and Faith in 1605 facts for kids
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| Author | Antonia Fraser |
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| Publisher | Weidenfeld & Nicolson |
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Publication date
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United Kingdom 1996 |
| Pages | 3474 |
| ISBN | 0-297-81348-X |
The Gunpowder Plot: Terror and Faith in 1605 is a book written by Antonia Fraser in 1996. It was published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. This book tells the story of the famous Gunpowder Plot from 1605.
The Gunpowder Plot Book
This book explores the history of the Gunpowder Plot. This was a plan to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London. The plot happened in 1605.
What the Book Explores
Antonia Fraser believes the Gunpowder Plot truly happened. She writes that it was not made up by the government at the time. However, she also says that some parts of the story are still debated by historians.
Fraser sees the plot as an act of political terrorism. She describes this as "the weapon of the weak, pretending to be strong." This means it was a way for a small group to try and gain power. Some people might also call it an attempted political coup. This is when a group tries to take over the government.
Mysteries of the Plot
The book points out that many facts about the Gunpowder Plot are not completely clear. Fraser shows that different people have different ideas about what really happened. She uses many historical sources to show these mysteries.
For example, she thinks that Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury wrote the Monteagle letter. This letter warned a Catholic lord to stay away from Parliament on the day of the plot. Other people thought someone else, like Francis Tresham, wrote it.
Catholics in England
Antonia Fraser also writes about the Catholic people in England during this time. They faced difficult laws under Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. These laws made it hard for them to practice their religion freely. One priest at the time called England a "ruthless and unloving land" for Catholics.
