GUY FAWKES: The "Guy" Behind the Mask 

Guy Fawkes (also known as Guido Fawkes) was born in 1570 in York, England. At the age of 21, he sold his estate and joined the Spanish army in fighting the new Dutch Republic. Fawkes, a staunch Catholic, became involved with a handful of other radical English Catholics. Together they formed a plot to assassinate Protestant King James and replace him with his daughter, Elizabeth. The conspirators agreed that the best way to take out King James would be to blow up the Parliament House with gunpowder. They waited until the 5th of November 1605, but their plan was compromised, and the conspirators were captured and executed. Londoners were encouraged to celebrate the King’s escape from assassination by lighting bonfires. An Act of Parliament designated each 5th of November as a day of thanksgiving for the “joyful day of deliverance.” Songs were written to accompany the celebration. They typically began with the lines: “Remember, remember, the fifth of November, Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot.” As for Guy Fawkes, the image of his face lives on as a symbol of postmodern anarchism.
GUY FAWKES: The "Guy" Behind the Mask - • GUY FAWKES: The "Guy" ...