How important was Roman Catholicism in plots against Queen Elizabeth I and the Gunpowder Plot, compared to other factors?

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How important was Roman Catholicism in plots against Queen Elizabeth I and the Gunpowder Plot, compared to other factors?

There were many plots against Queen Elizabeth I and James I, including the Ridolfi Plot (1570), the Babington Plot (1586), and the Gunpowder Plot (1605). English Catholics where mainly responsible for these plots. Why did the plots take place?

On the 5th November 1605 there was an attempt by a small group of Catholics to blow up the Houses of Parliament using barrels of gunpowder hidden in a cellar underneath that building. Included in this group were Robert Catesby, Thomas Percy, Thomas Wintour and Guy Fawkes. The plotters were not only trying to destroy the English Government, but kill the king, James I. The reasons for this went back 80 years, to when Henry had broken away from the Catholic Church, and became the head of the Church of England, and in effect had declared himself to have no allegiance to the Pope. The Catholics where then oppressed savagely during the reign of Elizabeth I, who was a strong protestant, and punished Catholics severely, which led to the Ridolfi and Babington plots. Then, when James I took the throne, they saw it as a chance to regain the freedom to worship, as they had made a bargain with James to put an end to their harsh treatment.

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Their joy was only temporary however as James made little effort to improve life for Catholics living in England, and the Catholics became disillusioned with him as he willingly passed laws, which would make life harder for Catholics.

The question of succession to the throne was an important factor, which led to the Gunpowder Plot. When Mary had died in 1587 there was a disagreement about Elizabeth’s right to rule. Elizabeth’s mother had been Anne Boleyn, but Catholics believed that she was not entitled to the throne, as the divorce between Henry and Catherine of Aragon had not ...

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