Jones Town

Ziyin Chen
History 146-04
In 1978, November 18th, there was a tragedy happened in a town located in Guyana. The town’s name was “Jones Town,” and it was named by Jim Jones. The purpose of the town was to bring Jim Jones’ believers together and live happily ever after, but turns out to be a huge tragedy for those who were living in Jones Town. Around 909 people committed suicide by drinking poison under the command of Jim Jones. There were few survivors, but they have lost their family members (Nelson). Without any doubt, Jim Jones was the reason of this tragedy.
Jim Jones was born in 1930, where is a little town in Indiana (Nelson). He was not in a happy and harmonious family, his father was an alcoholic with no job; therefore, his mother
was the only one working to support the family income, Phyllis Wilmore-Zimmerman, one of Jims Jones’s childhood friends said. Chuck Wilmore, Jims Jones childhood friend said, Jim Jones was wired when he was a child, and that he was obsessed with religion and death. He even used a knife to kill a cat. The growing background of Jim Jones may have caused Jim Jones to become the person he was. Later, in 1953, Jim Jones created his own little church, became the pastor in his own church. In his church everyone is free and equal. Black people can get into the church. The church always helped the poor people, there are no racial discrimination in his church. The church basically is a black church, but with a white leader. Also his church always joined in many Christian activities at the beginning (Nelson). In 1960s and 1970s of the America, there was full of discrimination, violence in the society. Racial problem is one of the biggest problem at that time. It caused people to believe in Jones. That cause people at that time desired to the peaceful and stable life, so people are much more eagerly to the religion belief, and pinning their hopes on the paradise from the bible. 1960s social liberation of agitation rise all over the world, liberalization and secularization is one of the ideas of that, which it causes to against the religion, but it didn’t effect the religion development in America. In 1970s, there was The Fourth Great awakening happened in United State, cause the religion became spread like crazy at than time. People are extremely hungry for new religion answer at that time; therefore, people had increasingly become the faithful followers in his denomination. There were many black followers because the discrimination going on during that period of time. The African Americans felt safe, happy, and equal.
1965-1974, Jim Jones moved to Ukiah, California, a place very close to San Francisco, because Indiana was too racist to Jim Jones, so he went to southern.
Then he created the famous “People Temples” at that time, and he used buses to spread over his beliefs about the socialism and have a better life at the summer time every year (Nelson). Once time, Jim Jones said to his followers, “come on I will give you a job, come on I will give you a home, come on I will give a bed.” He promise to people gave the better life they want, especially the kind of people which is hopeless, homeless, or the people suffer from the racial discrimination. Jim Jones used this ideas to attract the people became his followers or become a people temples member. He got the idea from Jesus and Bible, which is “selling everything” (Nelson). Then he started to convince his people temples member to sell their house and gave the money to support the church, then the church take care of their life (Nelson). At the time, his followers believe he can give them a better life. All the members live the church, like a big
family.
Jim Jones started to call himself is the god.
He said, “The man got power”, and told the people temples member, “you goona get heal today” (Jones). He want people to believe him is the god, and follow what he said. At that time, his followers were excited, and they believe what he said. He was really such a great speaker. His ideas became much more crazy, he think, “sexual relationship was selfish”, and also said they are all homosexual, except for him (Nelson).
1974-1977, he moved to the San Francisco. He changed a lot and started to used drug at 70s. After he had a huge amount of member in people temples, he actually has his own political power. Some congressmen got help from him to win the election. Furthermore, at the same time, Jim Jones’s scandal became public, included he stool believer’s property, pretending he is the god can miracle cure disease. At the end, all of his scandal was in the public, and American government began the investigation on him, cause Jim Jones leave
America.
1977, Jim Jones ran away from American to Guyana, in southern America with his 1000 believers. He built a “Jones Town” at there (Nelson). So many people followed him to leave America, because he promised to them he will gave them a perfect society. At first, Jones Town was a place of paradise for his believers. Everyone was happy and everyone wants to move into Jones Town. As time passes on, people in Jones Town were brain washed by Jim Jones. Jim Jones created an image to his people of him being the God and therefore not to betrayed. He had radios playing over the village of him talking all day to brain wash his believers. Jim was paranoid by people assassinate him or betray him, so he had two loyalty tests to determine who stays loyal. The first loyalty test was having church members drink fruit punch and lie to them saying it was poison. The second loyalty test was in Jones Town. Jim Jones told everyone that he is going to have someone they trust to tell them that he or she is planning to leave Jones Town, and the true believer will turn them in. The result of the second loyalty test shows that many kids turned their parents, and many husbands and wife turned in one another(Nelson). In 1978, one of the congress man named Leo Ryan and some reporters visited Jones Town to find out the truth about Jones Town. Leo Ryan was shot and killed by the order of Jim Jones because some of the believers wanted to leave with Leo Ryan. Those Believers who wanted to leave were also being shot as punishment (Nelson). Jim Jones also believe that once Leo Ryan gets back to United States, he would tell negative things about Jones Town on media. If Leo Ryan let out the truth of Jones Town, there would be problems to keep his believers in Jones Town. After the death of Leo Ryan, Jim Jones told his believers that the enemies are coming and if the enemies don’t give them peace, then they shall die in peace. Jim Jones told his believers that Leo Ryan and the United States were the enemies and they will torture and kill them all. Jim Jones forced the children to drink poison first, then the parents. Jim Jones knew that he could not get away with the murder of Leo Ryan, so after he told his believes to die, he committed suicide with a bullet to the head (Nelson). Jim Jones and his religion was not like any other religions. Jim Jones was trying to be “God” and he was trying to be the ruler of other people. Jim Jones really enjoyed being in power, and he is afraid that one day his believers would leave him. He Brain washed and forced his believers to stay in Jones Town, so he can stay in charge. In the end when he convinced his people to drink poison, he lied and told everyone that their enemy was coming. The enemy was only for him, but he wanted someone to die with him.

Works Cited Page
Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple. Dir. Stanley Nelson. Perf. Jim Jones. Firelight Media, 2006. DVD.