What was the Jonestown Mass Suicide and How Did it Happen?
Jonestown was originally a small settlement to the northwest of Guyana. It was created by Jim Jones, leader of the cult “Peoples Temple.” It is infamous for being one of the largest mass suicides of US history. The Peoples Temple is a cult practicing “apostolic socialism”. This meant that Jones was using church as a way to teach atheism and socialism. “Temple preached to established members that “religion is an opiate of the people.” Accordingly, “those who remained drugged with the opiate of religion had to be brought to enlightenment — socialism.”. The group gained increased popularity after they became affiliated with the Disciples of Christ. In 1974, the cult was moved to Jonestown as the US was becoming increasingly capitalist. According to Jones, the racist and capitalist America was no longer fit for the group, and only the black people of Guyana could support their peaceful cult. After moving to Jonestown, there were reports of abuse. Some families received food rations of onl
