Jonestown in Guyana Essay - 1255 Words

Jonestown was a community built by Peoples Temple in Guyana that ended in tragedy with a death toll of 918 people. â€Å"Founded in 1956 by Jim Jones, the Peoples Temple accepted everyone into their church and focused on helping people in need. Jones originally established the Peoples Temple in Indianapolis, Indiana, but then moved it to Redwood Valley, California in 1966. Jones had a vision of a communist community, one in which everyone lived together in harmony and worked for the common good.† (Rosenberg). In 1973, Jim Jones leased land in Guyana, South America for his dream community. Peoples Temple soon after sent out people to clear the land for homes and install fences for isolation. Jonestown was named after their leader, the all†¦show more content†¦The water wasnt clean because of plumbing issues, and they had little food. People couldn’t contact their families without permission, and their letters were read through to make sure they weren’t trying to sabotage Jonestown. Sirens woke people in the dead of night for suicide drills where everyone had to drink unknown liquids out of paper cups to show their loyalty. Jones had this as his backup, and told people this would be their way out if someone invaded the compound. Jim Jones wasn’t a beautiful human being though; he had mood swings and lost his temper at simple things. â€Å"Jones was becoming more ill and taking drugs. Jones let his mistresses make his decisions at times, and it wasnt organized like everyone thought. Wilson (a survivor) saw beatings of adults and children. They would pair someone weaker with someone stronger and actually have boxing matches drawing blood, she said. She said there was a green monster that would administer electric shocks to dissenters, You would hear the screaming.† (FBI). Leo Ryan was a representation of California that had an abundant interest in Jonestown. He requested to go, and Jones warned him it would be dangerous. He got his approval, and soon the word go out that he was going to be taking a trip to the compound. He took his advisor, a NBC news crew, and family members of the residents at Jonestown who were concerned. Jones welcomed them withShow MoreRelatedJim Jones Genocide in Jonestown, Guyana947 Words   |  4 Pagesto remember and prevent future events. Little did we know that in Jonestown, Guyana, a holocaust-like killing would take place Saturday November 18th 1976. That date will be a day many will â€Å"Never Forget.† Jim Jones was a religious fanatic who started The Peoples Church. He preached socialistic views and lies to gain followers. With increasing paranoia he moved to Guyana with a t housand followers , most would never leave Jonestown again, but to be killed in a mass â€Å"suicide.†(Contemporary AmericanRead MoreEssay on Jonestown Massacre: Mass Murder Suicide in Guyana545 Words   |  3 PagesThe worst mass murder suicide in history was the Jonestown Massacre. The Jonestown Massacre happened on November 18th 1978.More then 900 people were killed in the Massacre, 232 of which were children. The Massacre happened on a piece of land in Guyana that the People’s Temple, run by James Jones, had bought. The People’s Temple was a church run by James Jones who preached about diversity and racism. James was not a real preacher, all of his speeches were based on his opinions and theories of theRead More The Jonestown Massacre: Jim Jones881 Words   |  4 Pagessomething that others have told you to do or did yourself. This saying comes from the cult society led by Reverend Jim Jones, named Jonestown. Jonestown was a small community in the ju ngle of Guyana, South America. After getting word of people coming to investigate the society, Jones had committed a mass suicide by poisoning Kool-Aid and giving it to the people of Jonestown. A cult society is an organization that basically disguises itself as a religion. In a cult, they normally perform rituals. ThereRead MoreJim Jones And The Jonestown Massacre Essay1322 Words   |  6 PagesOn November 18, 1978, followers of Jim Jones shot and killed United States Congressman Leo J. Ryan and four others traveling with him on a fact finding trip to Guyana. Ryan was there to investigate complaints about the community called Jonestown, which was largely inhabited by his former California constituents. After murdering a United States congressman Jones knew the end of his rule was near. He ordered his entire following, some 914 people, to commit what he called revolutionary suicideRead MoreThe Assassination Of Timothy Mcveigh1509 Words   |  7 PagesOklahoma City Bombing that Timothy McVeigh orchestrated in 1995. But there is one event in particular that was even more heinous and stranger than any of those – the Jonestown Massacre. It was a mass suicide that occurred on November 18, 1978, in Guyana that took the lives of over 900 innocent people (The Stigmatized Deaths in Jonestown†¦ 42). And the man behind this inexcusable act was none other than cult mysterious leader Jim Jones. James Warren Jones was born on May 13, 1931 in Crete, Indiana toRead MoreEssay on Jim Jones as a Prophet770 Words   |  4 PagesProphet November 18, 1978 it all ended. Jim Jones and his followers committed mass suicide in Guyana, South America. The history of Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple is still studied a great deal today. Why did all those people follow Jones? Were they forced, were they brain washed, or was Jones just that charismatic. In this paper we will probe deep into Jonestown and answer some of these questions. We will be using Max Webbers article The Prophet find outRead MoreJonestown Massacre : The Mass Suicide1125 Words   |  5 PagesJonestown Massacre: The Mass Suicide On November 18, 1978, is what soon come to be acknowledged as the â€Å"Jonestown Massacre† in modern history of the late 1900s. Where a cult leader names Jim Jones brought his followers to Guyana, South America to commit a mass suicide of 900+ people. He accomplished this by having every one drink a laced Kool-Aid. A few other things that will be discussed about with be how the Peoples Temple (the cult name) grew and got this many members. Also on what was in theRead MoreThe Jonestown Massacre610 Words   |  2 PagesThe Jonestown Massacre On November 18, 1978, in the South American country, Guyana, 918 people died from drinking cyanide poisoning. The Jonestown Massacre, led by Jim Jones, convinced men, women, and children of all ages to commit suicide or be killed in days to come by the U.S. government. This event would become known as the most deadly, non-natural disaster in U.S. history, before September 11, 2001. James Warren Jones, better known as Jim Jones, was born on May 13, 1978 in Lynn, Indiana. HisRead MoreThe Jonestown Massacre1227 Words   |  5 PagesThe Jonestown Massacre Jahiii Parks Civil Rights/Black Power Prof. Raquel M. Bennett December 19, 2012 The Peoples Temple which was founded by Jim Jones, was a racially integrated church that focused on helping people in need. Jones originally established the Peoples Temple in Indianapolis, Indiana, but then moved it to Redwood Valley, California in 1966. Jones had a vision of a communist community, one in which everyone lived together in harmony and worked for the common good. He was ableRead MoreCauses And Effects Of The Jonestown Massacre1049 Words   |  5 PagesThe Jonestown Massacre was one of America’s greatest tragedies in history. Due to extreme Racism and persecution innocent people were driven to create a socialistic society only to realize there is no such thing. There are many causes and effects to the event of Jonestown massacre. Some examples of those causes and effects are the background, events, responses, and efforts. Jim Jones and the people of Peoples temple did not set out to be one of americas worst massacres, they just want equality and