2. Jim Jones.
• Born May 1931 in Crete Indiana USA.
• From childhood he was viewed by his peers as being a ‘really weird kid’ and
‘obsessed with religion’.
• He got married and adopted several children referring to them as his
‘Rainbow Family’.
• Became a member of the USA Communist party and during this time he
became interested in religion and setting up his own church which eventually
became known as ‘The People’s Temple’.
• He was an integrationist and was heavily criticised in Indiana over his views.
3. • He created the peoples church which after 1965 began to rapidly grow in
membership. It was very radical and there was much negative press
mounting over it.
• Jones encouraged that the congregation should move into an isolated
community which would be free of capitalism and could practice a
communal way of life.
• He therefore began to build Jonestown (North Guyana) in 1974 as a means
of creating a ‘Socialists Paradise’ believing that its inhabitants would be
the ‘purest Communists there are’.
• Jonestown was meant to be a paradise, or a utopia – however, there was
not enough room on the site, meaning people had to share cramped living
conditions and married couples were forced to live apart. Members were
required to work for up to 11 hours a day in the jungle heat.
4. Congressman Ryan.
• Relatives of those involved in the cult became increasingly
concerned, feeling their families had been brainwashed.
• Congressman Ryan therefore travelled to Jonestown to find out what was
going on.
• Everything looked fine at first, although it later became apparent that
some people wished to leave and were being held against their will.
• On November 18th 1978 Ryan announced that he was willing to take those
who wished back to the US – but only a few accepted, worried about
Jones’ reaction.
• Ryan was shot dead before boarding the plane by one of the
“cult”. Several others were wounded.
5. The massacre.
• Jones told his congregation that Jonestown wasn’t safe; the government
would react strongly.
• He said that the only way out was to commit “revolutionary suicide”. One
woman spoke out but she was shouted down.
• A large vat was filled with grape flavoured Flavor-Aid, cyanide, and Valium.
• Babies and children were brought forwards and the poison was syringed into
their mouths, followed by mothers then the rest of the congregation.
• Some members were dead before others had reached the poison. If they were
not co-operative, guards had guns and crossbows to encourage them.
• It took approximately 5 minutes to die.
• Jones died from a gun shot to the head – but it is unknown whether he
committed suicide or another killed him.
• On that day (November 18th), 912 people died from the poison, 276 of whom
were children. 6 other people were killed trying to escape.
6. Social Influence.
• Minority influence –
Jim Jones influenced approximately 918 people.
• Conformity –
most people believed that Jones’ religious views were right, and
agreed to the revolutionary suicide.
• Internalisation –
they completely accepted Jones’ views and made his beliefs their
beliefs too.
• Informative social influence –
Jones created the People’s Church so they looked to him for guidance.
7. How could it have been
different?
• Perhaps Congressman Ryan should have brought more back-up
with him to deal with a population of nearly 1000.
• The government could have taken action when the relatives were
first wary of the People’s Church; the government didn’t think that
the Church was doing anything wrong.
• If the people had realised upon arrival in Jonestown, after the
conditions began to deteriorate, then perhaps they would not have
conformed to Jones’ ideals.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9111740369454241202#
