The Explosive Legacy of Guy Fawkes, the Man Behind the Mask
A popular symbol of protest today, Guy Fawkes was first the face of treason because of his role in the murderous Gunpowder Plot of 1605.
Derided as a traitor in the 17th century, Guy Fawkes has become a symbol of protest in the 21st.
By James Sharpe
PUBLISHED November 3, 2017
Tensions were high in England in late October 1605, when an English nobleman, Lord Monteagle, received a mysterious letter. Along with the rest of England’s peers and the king, Monteagle intended to attend the opening of Parliament a few days later, on November 5.
The unsigned letter got straight to the point: “My lord, out of the love I bear to some of your friends, I have a care of your preservation, therefore I would advise you as you tender your life to devise some excuse to shift of your attendance at this parliament . . . for though there be no appearance of any stir, yet I say they shall receive a terrible blow.”
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/archaeology-and-history/magazine/2017/11-12/history-the-explosive-truth-about-guy-fawkes/
