Jonestown Summary

Theory and Analysis on Jonestown Documentary This documentary examines the infamous religious cult formed by a charismatic preacher named Jim Jones and his promise to bring a world of economic and racial equality. His promise led to the largest mass murder suicide in history. This documentary covers the events that lead to an abrupt awakening to the media and to the world of the people who joined the Peoples Temple ,following how Jones first started from Indiana to California and lastly to their deaths in Guyana in November 1978 killing over 900 people. The film starts of with Jones, history and his unhappy childhood. He was often describes an eccentric child that was obsessed with religion and death . His desire for social injustice
He developed the Peoples Temple in Indiana in the mid 1950s teaching apostolic socialism. After receiving numerous criticism for his integration views he moved the Temple to California in 1965. In California the Temple the church grew in people and becoming more active in their political views. Then around the 1970s the organization grew into San Francisco as well as was thought as the promised land. The temple members in San Francisco were expected to live in a communal lifestyle. All the money was to be donated formally from the desperate, the working adults were to give 25 percent of their wages and some just gave all their property. The temple also enforced physical discipline, later on the disciplinary actions where emerged to physical abuse. The temple had a governing body called the Planning Commission which involved sessions in which members where called on to the floor and would be emotionally dissected. On the floor other members would accuse of them indiscipline actions which would be considered improper to the temple. The temple also would ask the adults to sign contracts that would confirm of them doing crimes and wrongdoings against the U.S government, being
Jones publicly grew with the media and the political movement . Several newspaper would praise Jones leadership and the temples reform for peace. In 1977 Jones and his followers prepared for an immediate action to establish a agriculture project in Guyana. They chose Guyana because of their socialist politics, and their creeping fascism. It was also easier for Jones to obtain influence and protection because the country was small and poor. In 1978 when the California Congressman Leo Ryan when to Guyana to see how people in Jonestown where doing and to interview its people. After been reportedly threaten by a temple member during his visit he decided to cut his trip and return back with some of the residents who decided to leave. As they boarded the plane, a group of Jones guards tried killing the congress man a many others. Upon Jones and his followers learning this they acknowledged that the congressman murder would make it unbearable for them to live in peace. The Peoples Temple was to be preserve as church in Guyana so they made their ultimate sacrifice. Jones followers of 912 died of drinking toxicated cyanide. They would ultimately presume how you join a cult and you can never