[80], Jones made frequent addresses to Temple members regarding Jonestown's safety, including statements that the CIA and other intelligence agencies were conspiring with "capitalist pigs" to destroy the settlement and harm its inhabitants. [120], Jones often mentioned chronic insomnia; he would often say he went for three or four days without any rest. At this point, Carter had a nervous breakdown, and was pulled away from the village by his equally distraught brother. Members are captivated; his lust for power becomes unstoppable. [98], In Georgetown, the Peoples Temple conducted frequent meetings with the embassies of the Soviet Union, North Korea, Yugoslavia, and Cuba. [27][28] Former Temple member Tim Carter stated that the reasons for choosing Guyana were the Temple's view of a perceived dominance of racism and multinational corporations in the U.S. English. Four other Temple members committed murder-suicide in Georgetown at Jones' command. [38] Guyanese immigration procedures were compromised to inhibit the departure of Temple defectors and curtail the visas of Temple opponents. Recordings of commune meetings show how livid and frustrated Jones would get when anyone did not find the films interesting or did not understand the message Jones was placing upon them. This second title was only briefly used, and 'White Night' was adopted soon thereafter. Director Actor Films # Ref. Children were generally surrendered to communal care, and at times were only allowed to see their biological parents briefly at night. [216], Although Jones used poisoned Flavor Aid, the drink mix was also commonly (mistakenly) referred to as Kool-Aid. The children loved it. [109][110], On February 17, 1978, Jones submitted to an interview with San Francisco Examiner reporter Tim Reiterman. Members are captivated; his lust for power becomes unstoppable. [20] In the early 1960s, Jones visited Guyana then a British colony while on his way to establishing a short-lived Temple mission in Brazil. [174] His death was caused by a gunshot wound to his left temple that Guyanese Chief Medical Examiner Leslie Mootoo stated was consistent with being self-inflicted. Known as 'the Six Day Siege', this ordeal was used thereafter by Jones as a symbol of the community's indomitable spirit. [86], Jones was known to regularly study Adolf Hitler and Father Divine to learn how to manipulate members of the cult. [146] Al pleaded with Bonnie to return to the U.S., but Bonnie rejected his suggestions. Season 1. Many contemporary media accounts after the events called the deaths a mass suicide. [39], Jonestown was held up as a benevolent communist community, with Jones stating: "I believe we're the purest communists there are. They were led to their deaths by cult leader Jim Jones, a charismatic preacher who turned into an egomaniacal demagogue. Therefore, it was as much a mass murder as a mass suicide. Guests at a large 1976 testimonial dinner for Jones included Governor Jerry Brown, Lieutenant Governor Mervyn Dymally, and California Assemblyman Willie Brown, among others. ", "What was Peoples Temple's plan to move to the Soviet Union? By this point, armed guards had taken up positions surrounding the pavilion area. The mass-murder-suicide took place just a year and a half after Jim Jones moved hundreds of his followers from California to a large plot of land outside Georgetown, Guyana. The following is a letter of instructions regarding all of our assets that we want to leave to the Communist Party of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. [59] Jones' news readings usually portrayed the U.S. as a "capitalist" and "imperialist" villain, while casting "socialist" leaders, such as Kim Il-sung,[60] Robert Mugabe,[61] and Joseph Stalin[62] in a positive light. "[17][18] Jones had an interest in Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, and Adolf Hitler from a young age, and would later frequently praise Stalin and Vladimir Lenin as heroes. 914[193] of the 918 dead, including Jones himself, were collected by the United States military in Guyana, then transported by military cargo plane to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, a location that had been used previously for mass processing of the dead from the Tenerife airport disaster. Because it stood on poor soil, Jonestown was not self-sufficient and had to import large quantities of commodities such as wheat. [146] Al's wife, Bonnie, summoned on the loudspeakers by Temple staff, loudly denounced her husband. After escaping Jonestown, Rhodes arrived in Port Kaituma on the night of November 18, 1978. [27] For its Caribbean missionary post, the Temple quickly chose Guyana, conducting research on its economy and extradition treaties with the U.S.[27] In October 1973, the directors of the Temple passed a resolution to establish an agricultural mission there. The story is based on the 2017 book by "Road to Jonestown" by Jeff Guinn. [101] In April 1978, a high-ranking correspondent of Soviet news agency TASS and his wife visited Jim Jones. [134], In the early morning of November 18, eleven Temple members sensed danger enough to walk out of Jonestown and all the way to the town of Matthew's Ridge, in the opposite direction from the Port Kaituma airstrip. [63] The FCC cited the Temple for technical violations and for using amateur frequencies for commercial purposes. A 1980 newspaper column by Jack Anderson also claimed that the CIA was involved in the Jonestown Massacre, and speculated that Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy to Guyana Richard Dwyer had ties to the CIA. [51] Jonestown's population was slightly under 900 at its peak in 1978. [200] In February 1979, 98% of Americans polled said that they had heard of the tragedy. Moore also wrote, "JONESTOWN the most peaceful, loving community that ever existed. For days on end, frightened townsfolk ringed the commune, armed with machetes and whatever crude tools would serve as weapons. [24] After the group's participation proved instrumental in the mayoral election victory of George Moscone in 1975, Moscone appointed Jones as the Chairman of the San Francisco Housing Authority Commission. [224] Although the site was covered with dense vegetation, the team uncovered a standing cassava mill (possibly the largest remaining structure), the remains of a tractor (speculated to be the same tractor used by the airstrip shooters), a generator, a filing cabinet, a truck near the site of Jones' house, a fuel pump, and other smaller miscellaneous items. [176] The envelope contained two passports and three instructional letters, the first of which was to Timofeyev, stating: Dear Comrade Timofeyev, [135][137][138][139] When journalists and members of the Concerned Relatives arrived in Jonestown later that day, Marceline Jones gave them a tour of the settlement. Aurora and Angelina retrace the history of the dangerous cult, from the founding of The People's Temple in 1954, to its . [63] All voice communications with San Francisco and Georgetown were transmitted using this radio, from mundane supply orders to confidential Temple business. (2 episodes, 2018) Series Production Design by Jen K. Messer . Lay down your life with dignity; don't lay down with tears and agony." [106] Jones stated before the speech, "For many years, we have let our sympathies be quite publicly known, that the United States government was not our mother, but that the Soviet Union was our spiritual motherland. [176] Grover Davis, 79, who was hearing-impaired, missed the announcement to assemble on the loudspeaker, lay down in a ditch and pretended to be dead. Jones explained that the poison was not real and that we had just been through a loyalty test. [4][5] In contrast, most sources today refer to the deaths with terms such as mass murder-suicide,[6] a massacre,[7][8] or simply mass murder. [89] In May 1978, a Temple doctor wrote a memo to Jones asking permission to test cyanide on Jonestown's pigs, as their metabolism was close to that of human beings. [158], Jackie Speier, Sung, Dwyer, Reiterman, Anthony Katsaris, Boyd, Oliver, Krause, and Javers were the nine injured in and around the Twin Otter. [119] Jones was said to be abusing injectable Valium, Quaaludes, stimulants, and barbiturates. [99] Negotiations with the Soviet embassy included extensive discussions of possible resettlement there. Jones would occasionally not finish sentences even when reading typed reports over the commune's PA system. [44] Jones traveled to Guyana with Dymally to meet with Burnham and Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Willis. Members are captivated; his lust for power becomes unstoppable. [45] One Temple member, Paula Adams, was involved in a romantic relationship with Guyana's ambassador to the U.S., Laurence "Bonny" Mann. So did everyone else. published by BBC broadcasted as part of BBC Storyville series [201] George Gallup stated that "few events, in fact, in the entire history of the Gallup Poll have been known to such a high percentage of the US public". [125] Ryan's party, accompanied by Lane and Garry, came to an airstrip at Port Kaituma, six miles (10km) from Jonestown, some hours later. Sociopolitical Documentary hosted by Shan Nicholson, Parroting Jones' prior statements that hostile forces would convert captured children to fascism, one Temple member stated: "The ones that they take captured, they're gonna just let them grow up and be dummies. [27] He was skillful in presenting the Guyanese government the benefits of allowing the Peoples Temple to establish a settlement in the country. "[185], Found near Carolyn Layton's body was a handwritten note signed by Layton, witnessed by Katsaris and Moore, dated November 18, 1978, stating, "This is my last will and testament. [212] The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence investigated the event and announced that there was no evidence of CIA involvement at Jonestown. [176] The brothers were given the task before the suicides began, and soon abandoned it when they realized what was about to happen; Tim Carter desperately tried to search for his wife and son, discovering his son in time to witness him being poisoned, and his wife killing herself in despair. [219], According to Religious Studies scholar Rebecca Moore, "In the twenty-three years since the deaths in Jonestown, conspiracy theories have blossomed in number and sophistication. [198] He was convicted of conspiracy and of aiding and abetting the murder of Ryan and of the attempted murder of Dwyer. Jim Jones was a cult leader who on November 18, 1978, orchestrated the mass murder suicide of 909 members of his commune in Jonestown, Guyana.Since the events of the Jonestown Massacre, a massive amount of literature and study has been produced on the subject. [73] The community had a nursery at which 33 infants were born. Unable to support a growing number of followers, the Jonestown project quickly began to implode. Sensing the end, Jones triggered a tragic chain of events, forcing his followers to a dark conclusion. We are here living communally. [107] Tim Stoen engaged in letter-writing campaigns to the U.S. Secretary of State and the Guyanese government, and traveled to Washington, D.C. to attempt to begin an investigation. No other specific reference is made to the events of the day. In the summer of 1977, Jones and several hundred Temple members moved to Jonestown to escape building pressure from San Francisco media investigations. [196] As of September 2014, four of their remains had been returned to next-of-kin, and the remaining five had not. "[160], After Ryan's departure from Jonestown towards Port Kaituma, Marceline Jones made a broadcast on the public address system, stating that everything was all right, and asking residents to return to their homes. in 2020 Similarly, the end of the documentary seems to imply that our current political situation is similar to the fear and paranoia which led to Jonestown. [190] Dwyer was grazed by a bullet in his buttock during the shootings. [27] The plan listed various options, including fleeing to Canada or to a "Caribbean missionary post" such as Barbados or Trinidad. Found near Marceline Jones' body was a typewritten note, dated November 18, 1978, signed by Marceline and witnessed by Moore and Maria Katsaris, stating: I, Marceline Jones, leave all bank assets in my name to the Communist Party of the USSR. [112], Still, others remained loyal. Survivor Tim Carter has suggested that, like a previous practice, that day's lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches may have been tainted with sedatives. After the shootings, the Cessna's pilot Tom Fernandez, along with the pilot and co-pilot of the Twin Otter, Captain Guy Spence and First officer Astil Rodwell Paul, as well as the injured Monica Bagby, fled in the Cessna to Georgetown. [36][181], The only medical doctor to initially examine the scene at Jonestown was Mootoo, who visually examined over 200 bodies and later told a Guyanese coroner's jury of having seen needle marks on at least 70. [90], Jones' paranoia and drug usage increased in Jonestown as he became fearful of a government raid on the commune, citing concerns that the community would not be able to resist an attack. [170] Prokes and the Carter brothers were put into protective custody in Port Kaituma. 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