Jonestown Bullet Points by Shona

• Late 1960's USA turmoil - out of chaos came the Rev. Jim Jones - figure of authority
• 1976 Almost a 1000 people fled the USA with Jim Jones to create 'Paradise'
• The Peoples Temple 'Promise Land' - Believed in working towards a dream but what was it really about?
• Accusations of physical and mental abuse
• Fake healing, drugging members and theft of property
• Members wanted to leave but couldn't
• No means of communication with the outside world at all
• Only outside contact was a basketball team - of which Jim Jones' son was a member
• Concerned relatives involved press and Congressman Ryan to investigate Jonestown
• Sherwin Harris' daughter was at halfway house in Georgetown - went to rescue her
• Harris' ex-wife ran halfway house
• Autumn 1978 Congressman Ryan and journalists requested to go to Jonestown - to find out if allegations were true
• November 1978 - Peoplestown prepared for investigations
• Thursday 16th November - Congressman Ryan went to halfway house - Jim Jones requested son to come back from Halfway house as he was worried what would be said to Congressman
• Friday 17th November - Congressman Ryan had permission to visit Jonestown, 150miles from halfway house in Georgetown
• 'White Night' code for extreme emergency was practised at Jonestown - members made to drink apparent poison - as a loyalty test
• Congressman Ryan arrived at Jonestown to investigate the situation
• 15 people requested to leave - one of which was Vernon Gosney - leaving his 4 year old son behind
• Jim Jones - started to lose control through to traitors
• People that left with Congressman were shot at and mostly killed by members of the group
• Vernon Gosney survived
• Once news of the Congressman's murder had reached Jonestown, the order was given.
• Request sent to Georgetown Halfway house to kill themselves
• "We didn't commit suicide, we were protesting about the conditions of an inhumane world."
• Harris' daughter and ex-wife slit each others throat after killing three young children who also lived in the house
• Concoction of potassium chloride and tranquilizers was mixed into soft drink and the Jonestown residents were encouraged to drink.
• Children and babies were first
• Almost all died - a handful escaped by hiding
• Jim Jones did by a shot to the head
• Jonestown bullet point