The horrible story of Jim Jones 'Progressive to Predator'

The horrible story of Jim Jones 'Progressive to Predator'

In the 1970s, Jim Jones founded a cult called “The Peoples Temple Agricultural Project.” He adopted several children from different races, calling them his “rainbow family.” 

He said that he wanted to start a new Utopian society in the South American country Guyana so that people of all races could live together in harmony, free from racism and sexism.

He convinced his followers to build a town in the middle of the jungle called Jonestown. As time went on, Jim Jones became increasingly paranoid, and he wanted to test the loyalty of his followers. So he would pass around fruit punch, saying that it was poisoned, and that they needed to commit “revolutionary suicide.” 

After they drank the juice, he would say he was just testing their loyalty, and that they were not poisoned at all. Many people were scared, and regretted moving to the jungle. They were made to work very hard without much reward, and it was clear that Jim Jones had manipulated them.

Many people were concerned about the People’s Temple, because their friends and family members were no longer in contact with them. In 1978, Congressman Leo Ryan decided to fly to Guyana to investigate. 

Journalists from NBC News accompanied Ryan, as well. When the journalists interviewed people, they learned that many of them were being forced to stay, and they wanted to go back to the United States. 

Fifteen people chose to defect from the People’s Temple, but Jim Jones wasn’t having it. He sent gunmen after the crew, and killed several people. 

The rest managed to escape with their lives. Jones knew that this was the end of his paradise, so he ordered his followers to drink poisoned grape Flavor Aid. Many others were forcibly injected with poison. Some managed to escape into the jungle, but in the end, 909 people died.