What happened to the Peoples Temple?
The mass suicide of the Peoples Temple has helped embed the idea that all new religious movements are destructive in the public's mind.
How did Peoples Temple start?
Jones began the Peoples Temple informally in the 1950s as an independent congregation in Indianapolis. He was inspired by the ideal of a just society that could overcome the evils of racism and poverty. Although Jones was white, he attracted mostly African Americans to the group with his vision of an integrated congregation.
What did the temple do to help the poor?
In February 1960, the Temple opened a soup kitchen for the poor and expanded their social services to include rent assistance, job placement services, free canned goods, clothing, and coal for winter heating. Jones and his wife Marceline helped to increase the Temple's soup kitchen service to an average of about 2,800 meals per month.
What happened to the temple movement in Guyana?
The petition was granted in San Francisco Superior Court in January 1979. A few Temple members remained in Guyana through May 1979 in order to wrap up the movement's affairs, then they returned to the United States
How did people die in the Peoples Temple?
On November 18, 1978, Peoples Temple founder Jim Jones leads hundreds of his followers in a mass murder-suicide at their agricultural commune in a remote part of the South American nation of Guyana. Many of Jones' followers willingly ingested a poison-laced punch while others were forced to do so at gunpoint.
How many died in Peoples Temple?
900Peoples Temple, religious community led by Jim Jones (1931–78) that came to international attention after some 900 of its members died at their compound, Jonestown, in Guyana, in a massive act of murder-suicide on Nov.
What happened to Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple?
Jim Jones died of a gunshot wound to the head in Jonestown, Guyana, on November 18, 1978. His death occurred during the Jonestown Massacre, when he ordered the mass murder-suicide of more than 900 members of his Peoples Temple religious group.
How did Marceline Jones die?
PoisonMarceline Jones / Cause of deathIn broad metaphorical usage of the term, "poison" may refer to any thing deemed harmful. In biology, poisons are substances that can cause death, injury or harm to organs, tissues, cells, and DNA usually ... Wikipedia
What was in the Kool-Aid at Jonestown?
The phrase "drinking the Kool-Aid" refers to the 1978 Jonestown massacre, in which more than 900 people committed mass suicide by drinking a flavored drink mixed with Valium, chloral hydrate, cyanide, and Phenergan.
What does drink the Kool-Aid?
The phrase “drinking the Kool-Aid” refers to followership at its worse. It was coined after a delusional, pseudo-guru named Jim Jones led his cult, the Peoples Temple, to mass suicide. Over 900 people, including 304 children, killed themselves by drinking from a vat of grape-flavored drink laced with cyanide.
Is Larry Layton still alive?
Larry now lives in Northern California.
How many Guyanese died at Jonestown?
909 peopleJonestown became internationally known when, on November 18, 1978, a total of 909 people died at the settlement, at the nearby airstrip in Port Kaituma, and at a Temple-run building in Georgetown, Guyana's capital city.
How did Jim Jones punish his followers?
He Subjected Followers To Public Humiliation To break specific members of his group down, Jones would force them to undergo mass criticism in front of the rest of the congregation. Jones would make the followers strip naked in public and encouraged other cult members to berate them at length.
How did Marceline Baldwin die?
PoisonMarceline Jones / Cause of death
Who cleaned up Jonestown?
The U.S. Military Had to Clean Up After the Jonestown Massacre 40 Years Ago. What the Crew Found Was 'Beyond Imagination' A watch ticked on a dead man's wrist.
What happened to Jim Jones's wife?
In the beginning, Carolyn Layton (nee Moore) was Jones' lover. By the time she died aged 33, alongside her fellow cult members, the former high school teacher from California was considered to be the cult leader's 'right-hand woman'.
When did Jim Jones die?
Peoples Temple, religious community led by Jim Jones (1931–78) that came to international attention after some 900 of its members died at their compound, Jonestown, in Guyana, in a massive act of murder-suicide on Nov. 18, 1978.
Who ordered the people to drink cyanide?
Jonestown massacre. Bodies of members of the Peoples Temple who died after their leader Jim Jones ordered them to drink a cyanide-laced beverage. The vat that contained the poison is in the foreground. Frank Johnston/AP Images.
What did the People's Temple do?
Peoples Temple ran social and medical programs for the needy, including a free dining hall, drug rehabilitation and legal aid services. Jones’ message of social equality and racial justice attracted a diverse group of followers, including idealistic young people who wanted to do something meaningful with their lives.
What was the message of the Peoples Temple?
Peoples Temple ran social and medical programs for the needy, including a free dining hall, drug rehabilitation and legal aid services. Jones’ message of social e quality and racial justice attracted a diverse group of followers, including idealistic young people who wanted to do something meaningful with their lives.
What happened in the Jonestown massacre?
The “Jonestown Massacre” occurred on November 18, 1978, when more than 900 members of an American cult called the Peoples Temple died in a mass suicide-murder under the direction of their leader Jim Jones (1931-78). It took place at the so-called Jonestown settlement in the South American nation of Guyana. Jones had founded what became the Peoples Temple in Indiana in the 1950s, then relocated his congregation to California in the 1960s. In the 1970s, following negative media attention, the powerful, controlling preacher moved with some 1,000 of his followers to the Guyanese jungle, where he promised they would establish a utopian community. On November 18, 1978, U.S. Representative Leo Ryan, who had gone to Jonestown to investigate claims of abuse, was murdered along with four members of his delegation. That same day, Jones ordered his followers to ingest poison-laced punch while armed guards stood by.
What did Jones tell his followers?
900 Die at Jonestown. The same day as the murders at the airstrip, Jones told his followers that soldiers would come for them and torture them. He ordered everyone to gather in the main pavilion and commit what he termed a “revolutionary act.”.
What happened to Ryan and his group in Jonestown?
While waiting at a nearby jungle airstrip, they were ambushed by gunmen sent by Jim Jones.
How did Jim Jones die?
Jim Jones, age 47, was found in a chair, dead from a single bullet wound to the head, most likely self-inflicted. The death toll at Jonestown on November 18, 1978 was 909 people, a third of them children.
Where are the bodies of Jim Jones buried?
More than 400 unclaimed bodies from the Jonestown tragedy are buried at the Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland, California, where many of Jim Jones' followers were from. A stone memorial to the Jonestown victims was unveiled at the cemetery in 2008. Jones opened his first Peoples Temple church in Indianapolis in the mid-1950s.
What were Temple members subjected to?
Temple members worked long days in the fields and were subjected to harsh punishments if they questioned Jones’ authority. Their passports were confiscated, their letters home censored and members were encouraged to inform on one another and forced to attend lengthy, late-night meetings.
What happened at Jonestown?
Mass suicide at Jonestown. David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images. On November 18, 1978, Peoples Temple founder Jim Jones leads hundreds of his followers in a mass murder-suicide at their agricultural commune in a remote part of the South American nation of Guyana. Many of Jones’ followers willingly ingested a poison-laced punch while others were forced ...
What did Jones do to the people in Jonestown?
Back in Jonestown, Jones commanded everyone to gather in the main pavilion and commit what he termed a “revolutionary act.”. The youngest members of the Peoples Temple were the first to die, as parents and nurses used syringes to drop a potent mix of cyanide, sedatives and powdered fruit juice into children’s throats.
How many people died in Jonestown?
Many of Jones’ followers willingly ingested a poison-laced punch while others were forced to do so at gunpoint. The final death toll at Jonestown that day was 909 ; a third of those who perished were children. Jim Jones was a charismatic churchman who established the Peoples Temple, a Christian sect, in Indianapolis in the 1950s.
What happened to Jim Jones?
On November 18, 1978, Peoples Temple founder Jim Jones leads hundreds of his followers in a mass murder-suicide at their agricultural commune in a remote part of the South American nation of Guyana. Many of Jones’ followers willingly ingested a poison-laced punch while others were forced to do so at gunpoint. The final death toll at Jonestown that day was 909; a third of those who perished were children.
Did Jim Jones' sons survive the suicides?
A few residents managed to escape into the jungle as the suicides took place, while at least several dozen more Peoples Temple members, including several of Jones’ sons, survived because they were in another part of Guyana at the time. READ MORE: How Jim Jones Spread His Message Of Death.
How many people died in the People's Temple?
In all, 918 people died that day, nearly a third of whom were children.
How many people died in the Jonestown massacre?
ThoughtCo. On November 18, 1978, Peoples Temple leader Jim Jones instructed all members living in the Jonestown, Guyana compound to commit an act of "revolutionary suicide," by drinking poisoned punch. In all, 918 people died that day, nearly a third of whom were children.
What did Jones tell the congregation about the attack on Ryan's group?
He also told them that because of the attack, Jonestown wasn't safe. Jones was sure that the U.S. government would react strongly to the attack on Ryan's group.
How did the members of the compound hear Jones?
Throughout the compound, members could hear Jones's voice broadcast through a loudspeaker. Unfortunately, Jones often would talk endlessly on the loudspeaker, even through the night. Exhausted from a long day's work, members did their best to sleep through it.
How many people died from drinking poison?
On that day, November 18, 1978, 912 people died from drinking the poison, 276 of whom were children. Jones died from a single gunshot wound to the head, but it is unclear whether or not he did this himself.
Did Jones want anyone to leave Jonestown?
And Jones didn't want anyone to leave.
Did Jim Jones move to Jonestown?
However, that all changed when Jones received word that an exposé was about to be printed about him. The article included interviews with ex-members. The night before the article was to be printed, Jim Jones and several hundred Peoples Temple members flew to Guyana and moved into the Jonestown compound.
Where is the People's Temple?
The Peoples Temple was an American cult located in north Guyana. The cult was created under the leadership of Jim Jones. The common phrase “Drinking the Kool-Aid” is an expression that refers to a group or individual that goes along with a dangerous idea because of peer pressure.
Why did the People's Temple need the government?
The temple needed the Guyana government to serve as a buffer between the United States governmental entities and to act as an advocate for Jonestown’s cause.
How many people died in Jonestown?
Jonestown Mass Suicide: Revisiting The Cult That Ended With The Deaths Of 900 | TODAY It began as charismatic preacher Jim Jones’ attempt to build a socialist utopia, but it ended with the deaths of more than 900 people in a remote settlement in Guyana known as Jonestown.
What happened to the people living at Jonestown?
When the people living at Jonestown got to the hall, they would receive a cup of a red liquid. They were told that the cup contained poison and were ordered to drink the liquid. After 45 minutes, the members would be told that they were not, in fact, going to die and that they just passed a test in loyalty. 4.
How many people died in the Layton Massacre?
Other members of the Peoples Temple then opened fire on a transport plane, killing the congressman, 3 journalists and one defecting temple member. 5. Over 900 People Died in the Massacre.
What percentage of the people who died in the massacre were African Americans?
The group attracted members of the African American community. Ultimately, 67 percent of the people that died in the massacre were African American, the majority of those being women. About a decade after starting the Peoples Temple, Jones relocated his religious group to northern California.
When did the People's Temple move to Guyana?
The Peoples Temple Moved to Guyana in 1974. The location of Jonestown shown in red in the map above. In 1974, Jones spent his money and bought land in Guyana, which is located in South America. He bought the land to develop a new home for himself and his followers. He moved the entire Peoples Temple to Guyana.
How many people were killed in the Temple shooting?
Five people, including Ryan and three members of the press, were shot and killed, and 11 others were wounded. In the wake of the shooting, Jones released radio orders for Temple members outside the compound to commit suicide.
Where was Jim Jones massacred?
Overview of Jim Jones, the Peoples Temple, and the 1978 massacre at Jonestown, Guyana. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. See all videos for this article. While the Peoples Temple was active in humanitarian causes in its communities, Jones’s treatment of his followers was often less than humane. Temple members were regularly humiliated, beaten, ...
What was the Jonestown massacre?
The Jonestown massacre was a mass murder-suicide of the Peoples Temple cult at the behest of their leader , Jim Jones, in 1978. After cult members attacked Congressman Leo Ryan, who was investigating the cult, Jones enacted a suicide plan at the Jonestown compound. A fruit drink laced with cyanide was given to children and adult members, ...
How did Jonestown accumulate cynanide?
Jones was able to accumulate cynanide by first securing a jeweler's license. Jonestown had a weekly program on Georgetown radio to advertise the compound. Some conspiracy theorists claim that Jonestown was part of a CIA conspiracy, but no evidence has been produced to support this.
Where was the mass murder in Guyana?
mass murder-suicide, Guyana [1978] Alison Eldridge is Managing Editor, Strategic Content at Encyclopaedia Britannica. Jonestown, (November 18, 1978), location of the mass murder-suicide of members of the California -based Peoples Temple cult at the behest of their charismatic but paranoid leader, Jim Jones, in Jonestown agricultural commune, Guyana.
Who ordered the people to drink cyanide?
Jonestown massacre. Bodies of members of the Peoples Temple who died after their leader Jim Jones ordered them to drink a cyanide-laced beverage. The vat that contained the poison is in the foreground. Frank Johnston/AP Images.
Where did Jim Jones live?
In 1977, after members of the press began to ask questions about Jones’s operation, he moved with several hundred of his followers to Jonestown, a compound that he had been building in Guyana for some three to four years.
How many people died in the Jonestown Massacre?
Jonestown Massacre. On November 18, 1978, more than 900 members of the Peoples Temple died in a mass-suicide under direction of Jim Jones in what is known today as the Jonestown Massacre.
What happened to Jim Jones?
Jim Jones was found in a chair with a bullet wound in his head, likely self-inflicted. Some were able to escape the massacre, others were in other areas of Guyana that morning, many have shared their survivor stories with the media.
What was the Jonestown settlement?
The Jonestown settlement was less than promised . Members worked in agricultural labor and were subjected to mosquitoes and disease, forced to stay as Jones had confiscated their passports and medications. Upon Leo Ryan’s visit, Jones grew paranoid and told his followers that people would be sent to torture and kill them; the only option would be mass-suicide. He had the youngest killed first, ingesting a fruit juice with cyanide, then the adults were ordered to line up outside and do the same. The eerie photos of the aftermath show families huddled together, their arms around each other. Jim Jones was found in a chair with a bullet wound in his head, likely self-inflicted.#N#Some were able to escape the massacre, others were in other areas of Guyana that morning, many have shared their survivor stories with the media.
Why was Leo Ryan murdered?
On November 18, 1978, U.S. Representative Leo Ryan traveled to Jonestown to investigate claims of abuse. He was murdered along with four other members of his delegation. Jones then ordered his followers to ingest poison-laced punch while armed guards stood by.
What did Jones tell his followers?
Upon Leo Ryan’s visit, Jones grew paranoid and told his followers that people would be sent to torture and kill them; the only option would be mass-suicide. He had the youngest killed first, ingesting a fruit juice with cyanide, then the adults were ordered to line up outside and do the same.
Overview
Mass murder/suicide at Jonestown, Guyana
In 1974, the Peoples Temple signed a lease to rent land in Guyana. The community which was established on this piece of property was named the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, its informal name was "Jonestown". The settlement had as few as fifty residents in early 1977.
Jones saw Jonestown as both a "socialist paradise" and a "sanctuary" from me…
Before California
Before he founded his church, Jim Jones had become enamored with communism and he was also frustrated by the harassment which communists were being subjected to in the U.S. during the Red Scare. This, among other things, provided a clerical inspiration for Jones; as he himself described it in a biographical recording:
In California
Jones returned from Brazil in December 1963 to find Peoples Temple bitterly divided. Financial issues and a much smaller congregation forced Jones to sell the Peoples Temple church building and relocate to a smaller building nearby. To raise money, Jones briefly returned to the revival circuit, traveling and holding healing campaigns. After dealing with the issues at Peoples Temple, and possi…
San Francisco Temple
The move to San Francisco permitted Jones to be more open with his true political and theological leanings. By spring 1976, Jones openly admitted even to outsiders that he was an atheist. Despite the Temple's fear that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was investigating its religious tax exemption, Marceline admitted to The New York Times in 1977 that her husband, taking inspiration fr…
See also
• Mass suicide
• Branch Davidians
• Heaven's Gate
• Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God
Sources
• Chidester, David (2004). Salvation and Suicide: Jim Jones, the People's Temple and Jonestown (Religion in North America) (2nd ed.). Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-21632-8.
• Collins, John Andrew (2017). Jim Jones: The Malachi 4 Elijah Prophecy. Dark Mystery Publications. ISBN 978-1548102630.
Further reading
• Klineman, George and Sherman Butler. The Cult That Died. G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1980. ISBN 978-0-399-12540-9.
• Naipaul, Shiva. Black and White. London, 1980. ISBN 978-0-241-10337-1.
• Bebelaar, Judy and Ron Cabral. "And Then They Were Gone: Teenagers of Peoples Temple". Sugartown Publishing, 2018. ISBN 978-0-9987096-8-0.