Disclaimer: Article contains mentions of death and suicide. Readers are advised to exercise caution.
The Jonestown Massacre Explained.
Hulu’s latest documentary, Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown, explores the murder-suicide that occurred on November 18, 1978. The documentary focuses primarily on Jim Jones and how he founded the Peoples Temple. Initially, the leader preached progressive ideas to the organization’s members. However, people soon realized that the organization was operating as a cult, with several members complaining that Jonestown was a slave camp. The documentary is available to stream on Hulu.
Although Jim Jones founded Peoples Temple in the 1950s, the leader wanted to get out of Indianapolis. Then, in 1974, Jones began leasing land in Guyana, The Guardian reported. Over the next few years, Jones and thousands of his followers moved to the Guyanese jungle to establish Jonestown. According to the FBI, there were numerous reports of inappropriate behavior, forced labor, suspicious deaths and imprisonment at Jonestown. These reports eventually reached the government, and Congressman Leo Ryan decided to visit the facility.
When Ryan and his staff reached Jonestown, several people said they wanted to leave the city. The FBI noted that Ryan, his staff, and several Peoples Temple members were preparing to leave the facility when gunmen opened fire on them. Unfortunately, Congressman Ryan died and several of his staff members were killed in the shooting.
