Who was Jim Jones?
Jim Jones was one of the most bizzare figures in history.
He was born James Warren Jones on May 13, 1931 to Lynetta Putnam and James Thurman Jones.
His early life proved quite obviously that Jim was an excellent orator, which served him well later in life
as leader of The People's Temple.
After graduating Indiana University, Jim sold pet monkeys door to door.
(personally I think even that is a little crazy myself, but I suppose one does what they can)
He used the money he earned from his door-to-door sales to found a church
which he named Wings of deliverance(Better known as The People's Temple).
In 1964 James Warren Jones became an ordained minister
"The Mad Reverend" and The Road to Jonestown
Jones began a racial equality movement he referred to as apostolic socialism.
His followers began calling him "Father Jim."
Jim Jones and his followers gradually moved from the mainstream to more of a cult.
In 1977 Jim moved his commune to Guyana he wanted to create a jungle "utopia"
which of course he named Jonestown after himself,
Jim began feeding his followers LSD along with other psychedelic drugs, probably as a control mechanism.
Jim himself developed a major drug addiction, slowly descending into a world of madness and paranoia
Many of his followers that had left his commune before the move to Guyana did so claiming there had been abuse
and even murders.Jim however was still well respected for his work on racial equality, so the followers were ignored.
Government Investigation and the Jonestown Massacre
Congressman Leo Ryan did his own assessment of conditions at Jonestown later in November 1978, only after the families of the commune members raised concerns. This assessment led to an attempt on the congressman's life.On the 18th of November 1978 the Congressman left quickly taking with him about 15 defectors from Jonestown.
It was later stated that as they were leaving Jim Jones' armed guards and one supposed defector opened fire on them leaving five people dead. Don Humphrey, a reporter from NBC,a cameraman from NBC,Congressman Ryan,one defector and a photographer.
That same day, approximately 900 of Jim Jones remaining followers(men,women,and children) were killed in a mass poisoning by drinking a cyanide laced fruit flavored drink commonly believed to have been Kool-aid.
