Remember, remember, The Fifth of November, Gunpowder treason and plot; For I see no reason Why Gunpowder Treason Should ever be forgot. Rather than trying to summarize this myself, I'll just quote from the Wikipedia article , in part because it keeps all the links: The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in earlier centuries often called the Gunpowder Treason Plot or the Jesuit Treason , was an unsuccessful attempted regicide against King James VI of Scotland and I of England by a group of English Roman Catholics , led by Robert Catesby , who considered their actions attempted tyrannicide and who sought regime change in England after decades of religious persecution . The plan was to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament on 5 November 1605, [ a ] as the prelude to a popular revolt in the Midlands during which King James's nine-year-old daughter, Princess Elizabeth , was to be installed as the new head of state. Catesby is suspected