Jonestown Massacre
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The Causes of the Jonestown Massacre
On November 18, 1978 tragedy occurred in Jonestown, Guyana. The People's Temple, a religious movement led by James Warren Jones, ended in mass suicide. The final body count was 914, 276 of these being children. Most all deaths were caused by consumption of a cyanide laced drink. Many mothers were said to have poured the poison down their own child's throat. Jones is largely responsible for these happenings. Many of Jones' followers were homeless, poor, and African-American. These people felt excluded from the general public; some dealt with racism and prejudice. These factors resulted in a greater susceptibility to Jones' radical theology and belief system. Through mental manipulation and social pressure, Jones was able to control every aspect of the social and "religious" community in Jonestown and therefore influence or cause the ending result...