During a time of racial segregation, James Warren Jones, known as Jim Jones, believed that everyone should be as equals, irrespective of colour or status. As pastor of a church in Indianapolis, Jones began gathering followers based upon his principles and ideals of a better American way. After only a couple of years the People’s Temple was born as Jones’ very own church. The People’s Temple began as a religious organisation to pioneer his views and help people in need. Jones opened the doors of his church to everyone and particularly encouraged the integration of black and white people, which was otherwise unpopular in the mid-1950s. Jones regularly incorporated healing rituals as part of his sermons but this raised suspicion with some people on the outside that Jones could be a fraud. In order to keep the views of the church positive, The People’s Temple moved to California as did many families who believed strongly in Jones’ work. Perhaps this was the real start of things to come, as not only had Jones become the centre of the organisation but the centre of people’s lives. To fuel his more powerful status Jones insisted he was referred to as “Father” and even later introduced the idea that he was God personified.

Worried that he was being tracked by the government, Jones began building ‘Jonestown’, a new community in South America custom made for himself and his followers. It was there that conditions worsened for the people who joined believing they would lead a better life than before. Jones began preaching more disturbing sermons to his followers. He said that they must escape from those who may persecute them for their way of life. After so many messages of concern from friends and family of the Temple’s followers, Congress organised a visit to Jonestown. Unfortunately this only encouraged Jones to hasten his plan to ‘escape’. He had Congressman Ryan killed as well as three of his companions. He then gathered his followers urging them in a final sermon to drink a punch laced with cyanide. He said they should give it to themselves and their children; that it would be better than what awaited them if they stayed alive; he assured them the end would be painless. On 18th November 1978 over 900 people (as well as Jones himself) died after being persuaded to take their own lives, including those of their children, by their leader.