Changes

However, one of the plotters tipped off a relation who was due to attend the Opening of Parliament and a search of the Palace and its cellars was ordered. Fawkes was caught red-handed; most of the plotters fled but were either captured or killed in a fight with pursuing forces loyal to the crown. Fawkes and other captured plotters were convicted of treason and given the usual penalty—hanged, drawn and quartered.

However, one of the plotters tipped off a relation who was due to attend the Opening of Parliament and a search of the Palace and its cellars was ordered. Fawkes was caught red-handed; most of the plotters fled but were either captured or killed in a fight with pursuing forces loyal to the crown. Fawkes and other captured plotters were convicted of treason and given the usual penalty—hanged, drawn and quartered.

==Conspiracy==

==Conspiracy==

The underlying conspiracy, organized by the Catholic gentry of the Midland counties, was to effect a coup détat. They  were largely reacting in frustration to the breakdown of James I's Catholic toleration policy.  The first step in the plan was intended to be the assassination of the King James I and his ministers by the explosion of barrels of gunpowder. They would then supervise the new queen, Elizabeth, and make her a Catholic.

The underlying conspiracy, organized by the Catholic gentry of the Midland counties, was to effect a coup d'état. They  were largely reacting in frustration to the breakdown of James I's Catholic toleration policy.  The first step in the plan was intended to be the assassination of the King James I and his ministers by the explosion of barrels of gunpowder. They would then supervise the new queen, Elizabeth, and make her a Catholic.

A minority interpretation put forward by Fr. John Gerard, SJ, a Jesuit historian, in 1897; he argued that the Protestant Earl of Salisbury (Robert Cecil) manufactured the plot to affect public opinion against Catholics.<ref>Gerard was refuted in 1897 and his theory is not now accepted by scholars. See  Ron Christenson, ''Political trials: Gordian knots in the law‎'' (1999) [http://books.google.com/books?id=nV2a3E-S6LAC&pg=PA20&dq=cecil+gunpowder+plot&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=1990&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=2009&num=30&as_brr=0&as_pt=ALLTYPES  pp 20ff online]</ref>

A minority interpretation put forward by Fr. John Gerard, SJ, a Jesuit historian, in 1897; he argued that the Protestant Earl of Salisbury (Robert Cecil) manufactured the plot to affect public opinion against Catholics.<ref>Gerard was refuted in 1897 and his theory is not now accepted by scholars. See  Ron Christenson, ''Political trials: Gordian knots in the law‎'' (1999) [http://books.google.com/books?id=nV2a3E-S6LAC&pg=PA20&dq=cecil+gunpowder+plot&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=1990&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=2009&num=30&as_brr=0&as_pt=ALLTYPES  pp 20ff online]</ref>