History Extra Podcast
Episode: Remember, remember: The legacy of the Gunpowder Plot
Host: Danny Bird
Guest: Professor John Cooper (University of York)
Date: November 9, 2025
Overview
In the concluding episode of a four-part series on the Gunpowder Plot, host Danny Bird speaks with historian Professor John Cooper to explore the long afterlife of the infamous 1605 conspiracy. They discuss how the event was commemorated across centuries, how Guy Fawkes transformed into a cultural and political icon, and what the traditions reveal about the evolution of British identity, religious feeling, and state authority. The conversation traces the journey from early government-mandated rituals through popular riots, American adaptations, Victorian romanticism, and the modern Guy Fawkes mask as a global symbol of protest.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Act of Thanksgiving: Institutionalizing Remembrance
[03:29–05:46]
-
Government Response: Parliament passed an act in January 1606—soon after the plot—to establish an annual day of thanksgiving on November 5th.
-
Religious and Political Overtones: The act added a special service to the Book of Common Prayer, casting the plot’s discovery as a divine deliverance of Protestant monarchy.
-
Community Celebration: Besides church services, the act encouraged or prescribed public festivities, including bonfires and burning effigies of Guy Fawkes.
"It's a very sort of sectarian, Protestant-inflected definition... The Gunpowder Plot seems to slot into a growing series of divine revelations of plots and conspiracies against Protestant monarchy."
— John Cooper [03:34] -
Subversion and Meaning: From early on, locals shaped the day according to diverse interpretations, sometimes subverting its original intent.
2. Public Responses and Festive Misrule
[05:46–07:57]
-
Legacy of Medieval Festivities: Prior to the Reformation, English communities already marked the calendar with feasts, misrule, and bonfires.
-
Transition to Monarchical Celebrations: After Elizabeth’s reign, November 5th replaced older traditions and became entrenched as an official day of commemoration.
-
Ambiguous Gratitude: Whether communities truly marked deliverance from Catholic tyranny or simply relished sanctioned revelry became ambiguous over time.
"Whether all of those people are actually perpetually giving thanks for the providential saving of King James ... or simply enjoying themselves is a very interesting question."
— John Cooper [07:29]
3. During Republican Rule
[07:57–10:11]
- Suppression & Underground Memory: After Charles I’s execution, open commemoration of November 5th ceased, but subtle, clandestine remembrances persisted among royalists.
- Return & Expansion: Restoration of the monarchy in 1660 revived traditions, now incorporating other royalist anniversaries, e.g., Charles I’s execution.
4. From Solemn Liturgy to Festive Riots
[10:11–12:38]
-
Evolving Symbolism: As memories faded, Guy Fawkes became a bogeyman—a symbol of tyranny and subversion—while in some areas, Bonfire Night morphed into an anti-authority, even riotous event.
-
Authority’s Worry: By the 18th–19th centuries, authorities viewed November 5th as a time when crowds could spiral into misrule.
-
Modern Echoes: The anti-authoritarian tradition survives in events like Lewes bonfire celebrations.
"It becomes less to do with the deliverance of James and more to do with resistance to tyrannical power and sometimes resistance to authority itself."
— John Cooper [11:32]
5. Anti-Catholicism and State or Popular Action?
[12:38–14:29]
-
State Sanctioned, Popularized Anti-Catholicism: Official religion and exclusionary laws fueled anti-Catholic sentiment; burning effigies of Guy Fawkes and the Pope became entrenched, sometimes vicious, but sometimes only folkloric.
"In others ... burning of an effigy of the Pope ... absorbed within a kind of festive parish culture that isn’t perhaps as anti-Catholic and sectarian as it might appear."
— John Cooper [14:07]
6. The Gunpowder Plot Across the Atlantic
[16:52–20:15]
-
Pope’s Day in Colonial America: English settlers in North America celebrated Pope’s Day with bonfires and effigies, reflecting inherited anti-Catholic and communal traditions.
-
Transformation with Politics: Boston’s Pope’s Day gangs became vehicles for protest against British taxation (Stamp Act), shifting the anti-Catholic crowd energy into anti-imperial demonstration.
"Pope’s day crowd action then pivots and starts becoming anti-British action ... A very interesting example of ... gunpowder treason in a totally different set of circumstances."
— John Cooper [19:06]
7. Victorian Reappraisals & Romanticism
[20:15–22:38]
- Critical Re-examination: Victorian historians questioned official narratives, scrutinized torture-induced confessions, and sought original documents.
- Romantic Revival: Simultaneously, popular history and the arts recast Guy Fawkes and fellow plotters as tragic figures, with the novel "Guy Fawke" and paintings recasting them as glamorous rebels, rather than mere traitors.
8. Modern Reinvention: Guy Fawkes as Icon of Rebellion
[22:38–24:46]
-
V for Vendetta and Global Protest: Alan Moore’s comic and the subsequent film transformed Guy Fawkes into a symbol of anti-authoritarian activism.
-
Disconnect from History: The mask now represents rebellion rather than the original sectarian plot.
"The idea of a Guy Fawkes mask ... as being in any way connecting you with the politics of 1605 ... is just preposterous."
— John Cooper [23:14]
9. Propaganda, Conspiracy, and Historical Debates
[24:46–30:43]
-
Was the Plot Real or Manipulated?: Debate persists about how much the plot was exploited, exaggerated, or even manufactured by state figures such as Robert Cecil.
-
Evidence for Reality: Cooper maintains the plot was real, but agrees that its discovery was massively leveraged for propaganda.
"Once this plot is discovered, it is turned into a propaganda victory. It is weaponized by the state and ... distorted and remade and manufactured without a shadow of a doubt."
— John Cooper [26:07] -
Enduring Conspiracy Theories: Even contemporaries suspected entrapment. Comparing with modern beliefs in conspiracy and fake news, Cooper observes that our own culture is quick to see fabrications.
10. Rituals in the Modern State
[30:43–32:39]
-
Legacy in Ceremony: The annual ceremonial search of Parliament’s cellars by the Yeomen Warders before State Opening is a living relic of the Gunpowder Plot’s threat, part of British political pageantry.
"It’s one of the myths … important myths that enable us all to have continued faith in the fabric of parliamentary democracy."
— John Cooper [31:31]
11. From Sectarianism to Secular Bonfires: Changing Commemoration
[32:39–37:10]
-
Shift to Secularity: In Cooper’s view, Bonfire Night has long since lost its anti-Catholic sting, often becoming a community festival.
-
Halloween Competition: The rising popularity of Halloween has blurred Bonfire Night’s impact among younger generations.
-
Loss of ‘Penny for the Guy’: Constructing and burning effigies of Guy Fawkes is much rarer today.
-
Practical Obstacles: Modern safety regulations and insurance costs have reduced local celebrations and moved Bonfire Night into the realm of larger, civic events.
"Bonfire Night and Guy Fawkes have got a bit decoupled ... There’s a weird sort of forgetting and a kind of plasticity and a hybridity to whether we’re doing Halloween or Bonfire Night…"
— John Cooper [36:03]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
"The Gunpowder Plot seems to slot into a growing series of ... plots and conspiracies against Protestant monarchy ... by the providence of God."
— John Cooper [03:34] -
"Whether all ... are actually perpetually giving thanks for the providential saving of King James ... or simply enjoying themselves is a very interesting question."
— John Cooper [07:29] -
"It becomes less to do with the deliverance of James and more to do with resistance to tyrannical power and sometimes resistance to authority itself."
— John Cooper [11:32] -
"Guy Fawkes is a very recognisable figure ... There’s something devilish … but also there’s a kind of twinkle in the eye ... the lovable rebel."
— John Cooper [23:28] -
"Once this plot is discovered, it is turned into a propaganda victory. It is weaponized by the state ..."
— John Cooper [26:07] -
"I think it’s a long time since Guy Fawkes, since Bonfire Night has been openly and visibly anti-Catholic... Bonfire Night and Guy Fawkes have got a bit decoupled..."
— John Cooper [33:01]; [36:03]
Important Timestamps
- 03:29 – The parliamentary Act of Thanksgiving and associating rituals
- 05:54 – Shifting from religious to local community celebration
- 08:13 – Gunpowder commemoration under republican rule
- 10:11 – Bonfire Night as festive misrule
- 12:56 – Popular versus state-sanctioned anti-Catholic acts
- 16:52 – The Gunpowder Plot’s commemoration in North America
- 20:29 – The Victorians’ reimagining of Guy Fawkes
- 22:38 – V for Vendetta and the global Guy Fawkes mask
- 24:46 – Propaganda and the manipulation of the plot’s aftermath
- 30:50 – State Opening of Parliament and modern rituals
- 33:01 – Personal reflections on Bonfire Night’s transformation
Tone & Language
The discussion is scholarly yet accessible, moving nimbly from nuanced historical analysis to vivid anecdotes and personal reflections. Professor Cooper provides context, challenges myths, and offers grounded assessments, while Danny Bird’s questions guide the narrative with curiosity and clarity.
For Further Learning
Interested listeners are encouraged to check the History Extra app for in-depth articles and historian features on the Gunpowder Plot, enhancing understanding and expanding on themes from the episode.