Treason season at The National Archives

As the fireworks season and bonfire night pass for another year, a new free exhibition at The National Archives in Kew recounts the story of Guy Fawkes and his Gunpowder Plot companions, along with lesser known but equally compelling traitorous deeds.

First defined in law in 1352, treason remains one of the most serious crimes a person can commit.

And remarkably, the core of the original Treason Act, passed during the rule of Edward III, remains in force and relatively unchanged today.

In an unprecedented sweep of almost 700 years of our shared past, Treason: People, Power & Plot explores how the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, the establishment of the Church of England, the creation of the United States of America and even the extension of UK voting rights all share links with acts of treason.