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Jonestown Massacre

In: Historical Events

Submitted By Hope2017
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On November 18, 1978, in what is known as the “Jonestown Massacre,” more than 900 members of an American cult died in a mass suicide-murder under their leader Jim Jones. The mass suicide-murder took place at the Jonestown settlement in the South American nation of Guyana. James founded what turned into the Peoples Temple. Jones moved to Guyanese jungle where he made the Peoples Temple into what was supposed to be a real life paradise. Who would've thought that a gift from Heaven would later on turn out to be a gift from Hell in 1978.
Jim Jones began his own religion at a young age and he often visited different churches in his area. As Jones’s knowledge grew on religions he began taking what he learned and going to houses preaching and he also preached to younger children. He was no normal teenage boy he wasn’t so much into sports, he believed to be sinful, he liked to drink and dance. After he had gathered a good amount of followers he had developed a church of his own.
Jones was the leader of his church named, “the Peoples Temple” and he demanded loyalty and preached sacrifice. He believed the American Capitalism was the reason for unhealthy balance in the world. The rich had too much money and the poor worked to hard to try to get money. The Peoples Temple helped people find jobs and was suppose to be fair. Jones church was growing and was very successful, until investigations began and Jones decided it was time to move the Peoples Temple to a different location.
Jim Jones soon moved to Redwood Valley in Northern California, listed as one of the least likely place to get hit in a nuclear attack. After moving to Cali with his 65 families that followed him, his religion started quickly expanding into San Francisco Bay area. The People’s Temple was still a place for elderly, addicts, mentally ill, and foster kids. Many people trusted Jim Jones and his ideas but

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