DOCSLIB.ORG

{Download PDF} a Thousand Lives the Untold Story of Jonestown 1St

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
{Download PDF} a Thousand Lives the Untold Story of Jonestown 1St A THOUSAND LIVES THE UNTOLD STORY OF JONESTOWN 1ST EDITION PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Julia Scheeres | 9781416596400 | | | | | A Thousand Lives The Untold Story of Jonestown 1st edition PDF Book I am also reading Philosophy and the Law. It was easy to set my novel aside. Unavailable at this time. I learned that the FBI had released fifty thousand pages of documents, including diaries, meeting notes, and crop reports, as well as one thousand audiotapes that agents found in Jonestown after the massacre, and that no one had used this material to write a comprehensive history of the doomed community. By the time the community moves to a compound in Guyana, Scheeres has found a comfortable rhythm, increasing the tension like a horror movie as the inevitable massacre swirls in a tightening band around the village. About The Book. Other Editions 7. This book follows the evolution of the People's Temple from a small church in Indianapolis all the way to the mass suicides in Guyana. Scheeres' book strikes a careful balance in avoiding hype believe me, this story doesn't need any and sensationalism, and Obviously, some of my nonfiction tastes aren't for everybody; this work is fascinating and disturbing. It is a wrenching, devastating read — but one that I would ultimately recommend to everyone. How do we stop the next Jim Jones from preying on people's very real fears and leading the next generation of people desperate for someone, something, to believe in down another very dark road? Almost all the information on them are third-hand, which makes it hard to know exactly what they were thinking or why they felt compelled to partake in Jones' paranoia. Denouncing the Bible and proclaiming himself as God the Father, Jones became increasingly hostile to outside people and organizations, viewing himself and his members as targets of unjust persecution. Enter Email Address Go. I also felt that her sympathy with the People's Temple members went too far, absolving them of all responsibility for their own personal choices. Edith Roller, a well- educated white progressive, joined Peoples Temple because she wanted to help the less fortunate. My aim here is to help readers understand the reasons that people were drawn to Jim Jones and his church, and how so many of them ended up dying in a mass-murder suicide on November 18, Many temple members were educated. In that case, we can't Before the event, many people wanted to leave and were punished in horrible ways, drugged, locked in isolation chambers, violently beaten and more. Average rating 3. Nov 30, Dimity rated it it was amazing Shelves: , reading-women , read-women-nonfiction , reviewed , memoirs-biographies , first-reads , we-re-all-fucked , immigration-migration-refugees. Good people wanted someone to believe in, and thought they found their answer in Jones. Madison Mega-Mara This is not a great book. I was very wrong. A Thousand Lives The Untold Story of Jonestown 1st edition Writer From very early on, Jim Jones and his temple made for fascinating news material. Every single one of those fits Jim Jones from the time he became a preacher, gathered a congregation, built a church and told them he had a direct line to God, had been sent by God and knew God's will. That being said, I did feel that the book had a few issues that made it less than five-star material. People let Jones split up their families, take their money, and abuse them, and still they stayed. When David and I were teenagers, our parents sent us to a Christian reform school in the Dominican Republic that had some uncanny parallels with Jonestown. This was a predominantly black community although Jim Jones and much of the leadership were white. Her own experiences at an oppressive reform school in the Dominican Republic, detailed in her unforgettable debut memoir Jesus Land , gave her unusual insight into this story. How so many people were convinced to participate in revolutionary suicide is not fully explained. As one survivor told me, nobody joins a cult. Sort order. It is meticulously researched, the people's own words are on the pages. Almost all the information on them are third-hand, which makes it hard to know exactly what they were thinking or why they felt compelled to partake in Jones' paranoia. I was fortunate to win a copy of this book on Goodreads, and boy, my excitement was well placed. Suffice it to say, David and I would have been thrilled and amazed by Peoples Temple, a church where blacks and whites worshipped side by side, the preacher taught social justice instead of damnation, and the gospel choir transported the congregation to a loftier realm. It's not exactly a fun read, but it's one that sucks you in. It is written based on the diaries, letters, and several tons of paperwork left behind by the people of Jonestown, recently declassified by the FBA. If they really believed in revolutionary suicide why was the church in San Francisco so uninvolved? Conversely, I think the book got a bit repetitive and bogged down in detail toward the middle-- perhaps a function of the material on Jonestown that was newly available for review. It was riveting!!! Some, such as eighteen-year-old Stanley Clayton, appreciated Joness message of racial equality and empowering the dispossessed. The book is based on documents and tape recordings that were found in Jonestown after the suicide murder. The people who built Jonestown wanted to forge a better life for themselves and their children. I've ordered two more books on the topic, one written by Tim Reiterman, a reporter who visited Jonestown the day before the massacre and who-- along with other press members, Senator Ryan, and several defectors-- was gunned down by members of the settlement on Jones' orders no doubt as they tried to leave. There are a few flaws - despite the fact that the book ends with "The people who moved to Jonestown should be remembered as noble idealists," throughout much of the first half of the book, the author presents their beliefs in Jones and his "miracles" with no small amount of scorn and condescension. She certainly doesn't explore the complex nature of "brain washing. This is a strikingly relevant book. Not the most comprehensive book on Jonestown but definitely the best at capturing the batshit crazy day-to-day life details of living under Jim Jones's control. Details Bookseller Bookfever. Lists with This Book. The author paints a clear picture of how even sane people like you and me ended up committing the unbelievable act. His intentions were initially noble, he genuinely wanted to provide his people a place where they can all be equals and find in others a companion rather than an adversary. Jim Jones used threat and force to keep people in his church, to prevent them from leaving the grounds of his compound and to ultimately murder them. There is a balance between blaming the victim and taking a hard look at bad choices that end up putting one in a place of danger, and this balance isn't explored at all, to the book's detriment. But still, that "too cheap" rankles. Times A New York Times Editor's Choice "It is important to get a story like this out there and remind the public about it once in a while, so that history like this does not repeat itself. Barnum books and ephemera here. And despite all the 'good-job's I was getting from people, after the presentation, the best I could do was sit and stare at nothing in particular. Thanks for telling us about the problem. I realize this is a much more serious review than I usually give but I am still reeling and off-center. Readers also enjoyed. If for any reason you want to return a book, please contact us within 10 days of receipt of the book. About The Book. For more information, please see: www. Some are highly religious people and have always been so, others are looking to find something to help overcome a recent tragedy in their lives, yet others are barely religious, but Jones' teachings made perfect sense to them and hence they decided to join the group. Apr 27, Ryandake rated it really liked it Shelves: ripper-good-nonfic. View all 9 comments. The San Francisco Chronicle wrote that it was "Riveting Get A Copy. This right away gave her some credibility in my eyes, as it was apparent she was truly trying to understand just exactly how this could happen, and not sensationalize it. A Thousand Lives The Untold Story of Jonestown 1st edition Reviews Newton John R. I hope we have, but I'm not sure that I see it. They just walked out and turned up in the US a few days later. Enter Email Address Go. That being said, I did feel that the book had a few issues that made it less than five-star material. Her recounting succeeds on many levels, but fails on others. The part that is hardest for me to shake is the children who were victimized by Jones and his followers. The Jonestown tragedy happened the week of my 13th birthday. Jonestown was the ex-pat American settlement in Guyana where people died in a mass murder-suicide in November Get a FREE e-book by joining our mailing list today! Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. I vividly remember seeing news reports from the Jonestown massacre.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Psychology Behind Jonestown: When Extreme Obedience and Conformity Collide Abstract 2
    THE PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND JONESTOWN 1 Anna Maria College The Psychology Behind Jonestown: When Extreme Obedience and Conformity Collide Submitted by: Claudia Daniela Luiz Author’s Note: This thesis was prepared by Law and Society and Psychology student, Claudia Daniela Luiz for HON 490, Honors Senior Seminar, taught by Dr. Bidwell and written under the supervision of Dr. Pratico, Psychology Professor and Head of the Psychology Department at Anna Maria College. RUNNING HEAD: THE PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND JONESTOWN 2 Abstract Notoriously throughout our history, cults of extremist religious views have made the headlines for a number of different crimes. Simply looking at instances like the Branch Davidians in Waco, or the members of the People’s Temple of Christ from Jonestown, it’s easy to see there is no lack of evidence as to the disastrous effects of what happens when these cults reach an extreme. When one person commits an atrocious crime, we can blame that person for their actions, but who do we blame when there’s 5 or even 900 people that commit a crime because they are so seemingly brainwashed by an individual that they’ll blindly follow and do whatever that individual says? Studying cases, like that of Jonestown and the People’s Temple of Christ, where extreme conformity and obedience have led to disastrous and catastrophic results is important because in the words of George Santayana “those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.” By studying and analyzing Jonestown and the mass suicide that occurred there, people can learn how Jim Jones was able to gain complete control of the minds of his over 900 followers and why exactly people began following him in the first.
    [Show full text]
  • Pub 315 NY Blocked
    COMMUNITY INDEX for the 2019 Pennsylvania Tourism and Transportation Map www.penndot.gov PUB 315 (6-16) COUNTY COUNTY SEAT COUNTY COUNTY SEAT Adams Gettysburg . .P-11 Lackawanna Scranton....................V-5 Allegheny Pittsburgh . .D-9 Lancaster Lancaster ..................S-10 Armstrong Kittanning . .E-7 Lawrence New Castle................B-6 Beaver Beaver . .B-8 Lebanon Lebanon ....................S-9 Bedford Bedford . .J-10 Lehigh Allentown...................W-8 Berks Reading . .U-9 Luzerne Wilkes-Barre..............U-6 Blair Hollidaysburg . .K-9 Lycoming Williamsport...............P-6 Bradford Towanda . .S-3 McKean Smethport..................K-3 Bucks Doylestown . .X-9 Mercer Mercer.......................C-6 Butler Butler . .D-7 Mifflin Lewistown .................N-8 Cambria Ebensburg . .J-9 Monroe Stroudsburg...............X-7 Cameron Emporium . .L-4 Montgomery Norristown.................W-10 Carbon Jim Thorpe . .V-7 Montour Danville .....................R-7 Centre Bellefonte . .M-7 Northampton Easton.......................X-8 Chester West Chester . .V-11 Northumberland Sunbury.....................Q-7 Clarion Clarion . .F-6 Perry New Bloomfield .........P-9 Clearfield Clearfield . .K-6 Philadelphia Philadelphia...............X-11 Clinton Lock Haven . .O-6 Pike Milford .......................Y-5 Columbia Bloomsburg . .S-6 Potter Coudersport ..............L-3 Crawford Meadville . .C-4 Schuylkill Pottsville....................T-8 Cumberland Carlisle . .P-10 Snyder Middleburg ................P-7 Dauphin Harrisburg . .Q-9 Somerset Somerset...................G-10 Delaware Media . .W-11 Sullivan Laporte......................S-5 Elk Ridgway . .J-5 Susquehanna Montrose ...................U-3 Erie Erie . .C-2 Tioga Wellsboro ..................O-4 Fayette Uniontown . .E-11 Union Lewisburg..................Q-7 Forest Tionesta . .F-5 Venango Franklin .....................D-5 Franklin Chambersburg . .N-11 Warren Warren ......................G-3 Fulton McConnellsburg . .M-11 Washington Washington ...............C-10 Greene Waynesburg .
    [Show full text]
  • Section I - Overview
    EDUCATOR GUIDE Story Theme: History Retold Subject: The People’s Temple Discipline: Theatre SECTION I - OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................................2 SECTION II – CONTENT/CONTEXT ..................................................................................................3 SECTION III - RESOURCES ..................................................................................................................6 SECTION IV – VOCABULARY .........................................................................................................10 SECTION V – PEOPLES TEMPLE HISTORICAL TIMELINE .......................................................... 13 SECTION VI – ENGAGING WITH SPARK ....................................................................................143 SECTION VII – RELATED STANDARDS.......................................................................................... 19 Actors in The People’s Temple production at Berkeley Repertory Theatre work on the play in its early stages. Still image from SPARK story, 2005. SECTION I - OVERVIEW EPISODE THEME History Retold INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES Group oral discussion, review and analysis, SUBJECT including peer review and aesthetic valuing People’s Temple Project Teacher-guided instruction, including demonstration and guidance GRADE RANGES Hands-on individual projects in which students K–12 & Post-Secondary work independently Hands-on group projects in which students assist CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
    [Show full text]
  • Peoples Temple Miscellany, 1951-2013, MS 4126
    http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt9j49s3fd No online items Finding aid to Peoples Temple miscellany, 1951-2013, MS 4126 Finding aid prepared by Frances Wratten Kaplan California Historical Society 2011 678 Mission Street San Francisco, CA 94105 [email protected] URL: http://californiahistoricalsociety.org/ Finding aid to Peoples Temple MS 4126 1 miscellany, 1951-2013, MS 4126 Contributing Institution: California Historical Society Title: Peoples Temple miscellany Identifier/Call Number: MS 4126 Physical Description: 17.0 boxes Date (inclusive): 1951-2013 Collection is stored onsite. Language of Material: Collection materials are in English. Abstract: Peoples Temple miscellany consists of miscellaneous materials about Peoples Temple arranged by California Historical Society staff into a single, ongoing collection. Acquired at different times from a variety of donors, materials in the collection include correspondence, notes, scrapbooks, journals, clippings, publications, audio recordings, realia and television documentaries about Peoples Temple and Jonestown, its agricultural mission in Guyana. Access Collection is open for research. Publication Rights All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Director of the Library and Archives, North Baker Research Library, California Historical Society, 678 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. Consent is given on behalf of the California Historical Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission from the copyright owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright owner. Restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes. Preferred Citation [Identification of item], Peoples Temple miscellany, MS 4126, California Historical Society Separated Materials Photographs have been removed and transferred to Photographs from Peoples Temple miscellany, 1966-1978, MSP 4126.
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding Jonestown Whitney Fosu Junior Division Historical
    1 Understanding Jonestown Whitney Fosu Junior Division Historical Paper Paper Length: 2,019 Words 2 The 1960s and 1970s were a bleak and uncertain time for many. During these decades, both the Civil Rights movement and the Women's Liberation movement were transpiring. Overall, this period was a difficult time for people everywhere. During the 1970s, Jim Jones' church, Peoples Temple, was a momentous accomplishment for welcoming all genders, races, and ages, yet this is where the triumph ends. In addition to his instability, and the members' mindless compliance, the criticisms and the political powers of outsiders ignited the tragedy of mass suicide. This remains a cautionary tale for everyday life, as it could very much occur again. Introduction into Jim Jones’ Life Jim Warren Jones was born on May 31, 1931, to James Thurman Jones and Lynetta Putnam Jones in Crete, Indiana. When he was born, his mother was working as a factory worker, while his dad was in a poor state of health due to his exposure to poisonous gasses during World War I. Growing up, he became more and more cognizant of the distinctions between his life and that of other children around him. It can be said that he was somewhat neglected during his youth as a result of his mother having to work all day leaving him with no one to care for him, and his father barely spending any time with him because of his involvement in the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist group. His first encounter with religion came from his neighbor, Myrtle Kennedy, who cared for him during his childhood.
    [Show full text]
  • Tim Stoen, 1977
    CHAPTER NINE TIM STOEN, 1977 The king said, 'Bring me a sword.' So a sword was brought before the king. And the king said, 'Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.' Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart yearned for her son, 'Oh, my lord, give her the living child and by no means slay it.' But the other said, 'It shall be neither mine nor yours; divide it.1 Then the king answered and said, 'Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means slay it; she is its mother.' And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rend­ ered and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him, to render justice. - I Kings 3: 16-28 TIM STOEN, 1977 227 The fight between Jim Jones and disillusioned ex­ member Tim Stoen was not over custody of a child, al­ though that was the ostensible reason for the dispute. It was, instead, a power struggle between two men and two ideologies. Tim Stoen had been a trusted leader in Peoples Temple. An ardent supporter, as well as legal advisor to the church, he left the Temple, joined his wife in a custody suit against Jim Jones, and organized other ex-members and relatives of Temple followers. Using John Victor, the child, Tim galvanized the anger and appre­ hension of the Concerned Relatives organization against Peoples Temple.
    [Show full text]
  • A Specific Social Function of Rumors and Conspiracy Theories: Strengthening Community’S Ties in Trouble Times
    A Specific Social Function of Rumors and Conspiracy Theories: Strengthening Community’s Ties in Trouble Times. A Multilevel Analysis Julien Giry To cite this version: Julien Giry. A Specific Social Function of Rumors and Conspiracy Theories: Strengthening Commu- nity’s Ties in Trouble Times. A Multilevel Analysis. Slovak Ethnology , 2017, 65 (2 ). hal-01686665 HAL Id: hal-01686665 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01686665 Submitted on 22 Jan 2018 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. 2 65 • 2017 ARTICLES A SPECIFIC SOCIAL FUNCTION OF RUMORS AND CONSPIRACY THEORIES: STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY’S TIES IN TROUBLED TIMES. A MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS JULIEN GIRY Julien Giry, CRNRS/IREMAM, Research Fellow at the IDPSP, Rennes1, 5 Rue du Château de l’Horloge, 13 094 Aix-en-Provence CEDEX 2, France; e-mail: [email protected] aix.fr, [email protected] This paper hypothesizes that conspiracy theories and rumors are an act of social conformism. The evaluation of their plausibility, and their success, is collectively determinate regarding the established values of an in-group and the social context. In periods of troubles they flourish to reaffirm themselves and strengthen community’s ties, structures and leaderships.
    [Show full text]
  • But You Have to Have Been There to Know
    The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine Honors College Spring 5-2021 “But you have to have been there to know what we are talking about”: An Examination of the Rhetorical Environments of Cults and Other Extremist Groups and How They Lead to Violence Katherine Camille Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors Part of the Psychology Commons, and the Speech and Rhetorical Studies Commons This Honors Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors College by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. For more information, please contact [email protected]. “BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE BEEN THERE TO KNOW WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT”: AN EXAMINATION OF THE RHETORICAL ENVIRONMENTS OF CULTS AND OTHER EXTREMIST GROUPS AND HOW THEY LEAD TO VIOLENCE by Katherine Camille A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for a Degree with Honors (Communication) The Honors College University of Maine May 2021 Advisory Committee: Nathan Stormer, Professor of Rhetoric, Advisor Robert Glover, Associate Professor of Political Science & Honors Hao Hong, Assistant Professor of Philosophy Naomi Jacobs, Professor of English Jenny Rice, Associate Professor of Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Media, University of Kentucky ABSTRACT Popular culture often cites charismatic leaders as the catalysts for violent acts in cults and other extremist groups. This explanation is insufficient and oversimplified, and this thesis challenges the idea that a single speech or person can move a large group to act violently and without their own best interests in mind.
    [Show full text]
  • Jonestown: the Life and Death of Peoples Temple Program Transcript
    Page 1 Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple Program Transcript On-screen text: On November 18th, 1978, in Jonestown, Guyana, 909 members of Peoples Temple died in what has been called the largest mass suicide in modern history. Deborah Layton, Peoples Temple Member, Author, Seductive Poison: Nobody joins a cult. Nobody joins something they think is going to hurt them. You join a religious organization, you join a political movement, and you join with people that you really like. Jim Jones Jr., Peoples Temple Member: I think in everything that I tell you about Jim Jones, there is going to be a paradox. Having this vision to change the world, but having this whole undercurrent of dysfunction that was underneath that vision. Jim Jones (archival): Some people see a great deal of God in my body. They see Christ in me, a hope of glory. Hue Fortson Jr., Peoples Temple Member: He said, “If you see me as your friend, I’ll be your friend. As you see me as your father, I’ll be your father.” He said, “If you see me as your God, I’ll be your God.” Kristine Kravitz, Peoples Temple Member: Jim Jones talked about going to the Promised Land and then, pretty soon, we were seeing film footage of Jonestown. Jim Jones (archival): Rice, black-eyed peas, Kool-Aid. Kristine Kravitz, Peoples Temple Member: We all wanted to go. I wanted to go. Page 2 Grace Stoen, Peoples Temple Member: Peoples Temple truly had the potential to be something big and powerful and great, and yet for whatever reason, Jim took the other road.
    [Show full text]
  • The Case Against Mark Lane
    •'-//3/ 7 '' 7 Date Page The Case Against Mark Lane The conclusion: He has only two motives—profit and headlines by Steven Brill t is pounding rain on 101 going north of San Francis- intelligence agencies and how the confrontation with Jones [and co, and Mark Lane's Hertz Toyota is not taking it Congressman Leo Ryan] was arranged by them." well. The wind, the splash, the tin grind of the motor, In the months following Guyana, we will be hearing from him nearly drown out his voice—a voice that is at the again. Not in his early Toyota monotone. But with the practiced beginning of our 120-mile, three-and-a-half-hour drive hysteria that I'll see later in our ride—the .kind that's wowed surprisingly subdued. We are on our way from the them on campuses before, when the subject was death and the San Francisco airport to Santa Rosa, 60 miles north, dead were John Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. And where Lane, he says, needs to interview a potential always the adjective lawyer will come in front of his name. witness in the Guyana suicide case. As we go, I keep an eye out Lawyer Mark Lane today charged that ... Lawyer Mark Lane for a rent-a-car billboard. Should he explode when I start asking revealed ... Lawyer Mark Lane attacked.... questions, I'll need a way back. Don't believe him. On major issues, Mark Lane is as utterly I expect a raving conspiracy addict, a foamer at the mouth.
    [Show full text]
  • An Oral History with Ericka Huggins
    Oral History Center University of California The Bancroft Library Berkeley, California Ericka Huggins AN ORAL HISTORY WITH ERICKA HUGGINS Interviews conducted by Fiona Thompson in 2007 Public Domain 2010 ii Since 1954 the Regional Oral History Office has been interviewing leading participants in or well-placed witnesses to major events in the development of Northern California, the West, and the nation. Oral History is a method of collecting historical information through tape-recorded interviews between a narrator with firsthand knowledge of historically significant events and a well-informed interviewer, with the goal of preserving substantive additions to the historical record. The tape recording is transcribed, lightly edited for continuity and clarity, and reviewed by the interviewee. The corrected manuscript is bound with photographs and illustrative materials and placed in The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley, and in other research collections for scholarly use. Because it is primary material, oral history is not intended to present the final, verified, or complete narrative of events. It is a spoken account, offered by the interviewee in response to questioning, and as such it is reflective, partisan, deeply involved, and irreplaceable. ********************************* All uses of this manuscript are covered by a legal agreement between The Regents of the University of California and Ericka Huggins, dated April 23, 2010; and interviewer Fiona Thomson dated May 24, 2010. This manuscript has been donated to The Bancroft Library and placed in Public Domain and thereby made available for research purposes. It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: Ericka Huggins, “An Oral History with Ericka Huggins” conducted by Fiona Thompson, 2007, Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 2010.
    [Show full text]
  • The People of the Peoples Temple
    Suffolk University Digital Collections @ Suffolk Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects Student Works 2021 The People of the Peoples Temple Collin Smith Suffolk University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.suffolk.edu/undergrad Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Smith, Collin, "The People of the Peoples Temple" (2021). Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects. 17. https://dc.suffolk.edu/undergrad/17 This Honors Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Works at Digital Collections @ Suffolk. It has been accepted for inclusion in Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects by an authorized administrator of Digital Collections @ Suffolk. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The People of the Peoples Temple Collin Smith HST H 555: Public History Honors Thesis Dr. Kathryn Lasdow, Thesis Advisor April 26, 2021 INTRODUCTION: In 1957, Hyacinth Thrash, a fifty-five-year-old black woman living in Indiana, thought she had found her church. She joined a religious organization in Indianapolis that seemed to be free from racism, with a mission to help the poor and the needy. The church, called the Peoples Temple, was led by a charismatic white man, Jim Jones. From 1956 to 1978, Reverend Jim Jones led the Peoples Temple congregation in Indianapolis, Indiana (1956-1965), then in Ukiah and San Francisco, California (1965-1977), and finally in Jonestown, Guyana (1977-1978). Thrash described the first time her sister, Zipporah, saw the Peoples Temple on television: “She came running in from the other room, shouting, ‘I’ve found my church!’ She saw the integrated choir on TV and Jim standing so handsome, and wanted to go.”1 Zipporah enticed Hyacinth to join her.
    [Show full text]