The Jonestown Massacre-Hannah Nguyen by Hannah Nguyen https://padlet.com/htnguyen696_2/r368d0aepvhmt92k en-us 2023-03-08 01:52:11 UTC 2025-05-23 01:06:48 UTC hello@padlet.com The Jonestown Massacre htnguyen696_2 https://padlet.com/htnguyen696_2/r368d0aepvhmt92k/wish/2507883069 The Jonestown Massacre, which occurred on November 18, 1978 was a mass "suicide" that took place in a town called Jonestown which was a remote settlement in Guyana. During this massacre a total of 918 individuals were killed. The suicides are believed to have been a result of cyanide poisoning. 
The individuals who lived in Jonestown were Americans who were apart of a group that resembled that much of a cult. This group was called "People's Temple," and it was lead by a man by the name of Reverend Jim Jones. 
During this time, Leo Ryan, who was the Congressman of California was very concerned for the American people who were living in Jonestown at the time. Leo Ryan decides to visit Jonestown in the light of his worry. He brings along with him reporters and government officials. After spending some time in Jonestown Leo and his crew decide to head back home, however they are meet by some not so very happy men who then proceed to kill Leo and the other men who were with him in Jonestown. 
Not soon after learning about the killing of Leo and his crew, Jim Jones is freightened that there may be a potential threat to those individuals who chose to follow his teachings. In fear, he orders his followers to drink a fruit drink which was laced with a poison called cyanide. When these individuals of the settlement were found, more than 900 individuals were found dead, including Jim Jones who had suffered a gun shot wound to the head.]]> 2023-03-08 02:22:37 UTC https://padlet.com/htnguyen696_2/r368d0aepvhmt92k/wish/2507883069 Key Individual #1: Jim Jones htnguyen696_2 https://padlet.com/htnguyen696_2/r368d0aepvhmt92k/wish/2507904823 The first key Individual we see is Jim Jones. Jim Jones was an American cult leader who, created a society in which he wanted there to be equality, and for the people to overcome racism and poverty. Jones called this society "The People's Temple." Jones wanted to create this perfect illusion that there would be no poverty, sickness, or the evils ways of racism. His vision was to create a place that was essentially "paradise" to those who would follow him. 
Jones was a man who could be described as a man who had a split personality. He was a man who was very demanding on what he wanted and he would not take "no" for an answer. Near the end of Jones life he began to become very paranoid that his cult was in the works of being identified as a place where individuals were terrorized. In turn this lead to Jones being very agitated and worried which eventually lead him to order his followers to essentially kill themselves in a "suicide." ]]> 2023-03-08 02:39:59 UTC https://padlet.com/htnguyen696_2/r368d0aepvhmt92k/wish/2507904823 Key Individual #2: Leo Ryan htnguyen696_2 https://padlet.com/htnguyen696_2/r368d0aepvhmt92k/wish/2507915900 The second key individual is Leo Ryan. Ryan was a California Congressman who was set out to uncover the truth about Jonestown, after hearing from an old friend who's daughter was apart of Jones cult "People's Temple." After Ryan had discovered this information, he was very curious to see what was really going on in Jonestown. Ryan's suspicions led him to take a trip down to Jonestown to discover the horrible recollection of the cult that Jones was running. Regardless of what Ryan would have to endure during his trip into Jonestown, he would fight through any barrier to find out what was really happening. After Ryan had discovered the truth he did his best to help some of the individuals in Jonestown, however once it was discovered that Ryan was there to uncover the truth, he was shot and killed.]]> 2023-03-08 02:48:47 UTC https://padlet.com/htnguyen696_2/r368d0aepvhmt92k/wish/2507915900 Key Individual #3: Vernon Gosney htnguyen696_2 https://padlet.com/htnguyen696_2/r368d0aepvhmt92k/wish/2507932345 The third Individual who had a key impact on the Jonestown massacre was Vernon Gosney. Vernon was a member of the "People's Temple." He joined the cult soon after he moved to Jonestown after the death of his wife. He and his younger son moved to Jonestown in the hopes of sustaining a better life, and so that he may become a better socialist. After being in the cult for a while Vernon had decided this was not the way he wanted to live his life. After he had discovered that Leo Ryan had come to Jonestown, Vernon made an attempt to escape the cult with his son, however he was shot trying to escape. Vernon did survive the shot, however his son was found deceased in Jonestown. ]]> 2023-03-08 03:01:27 UTC https://padlet.com/htnguyen696_2/r368d0aepvhmt92k/wish/2507932345 Factors Contributing To The Jonestown Massacre htnguyen696_2 https://padlet.com/htnguyen696_2/r368d0aepvhmt92k/wish/2507960038 Many factors contributed to the Jonestown massacre, however some specific events directly effected the Jonestown Massacre to become prevalent. These events include the Vietnam War, poverty, racism, the promotion of desegregation, violence, and economic instability. All of the factors put a positive impact on the idea that Jim Jones was trying to portray within his cult. He was promising the end to racism, economic stability, and a place where all people could feel as though they were in harmony with one another. Jones specifically targeted the class of individuals who were very poor and homeless, because he knew these people would be very easy to trap, because they already had nothing so to give them some positivity would be the perfect way to get them to join his cult.]]> 2023-03-08 03:24:26 UTC https://padlet.com/htnguyen696_2/r368d0aepvhmt92k/wish/2507960038 Effects of Groupthink htnguyen696_2 https://padlet.com/htnguyen696_2/r368d0aepvhmt92k/wish/2507991355 Groupthink can have some detrimental effects to those who are impacted. The first example we can see of an effect that groupthink has is the ignorance and vulnerability that can take a hold of these individuals effected. Many of these people are looking for a way to escape the negativity that they are currently facing and to some people when they are really struggling they will do almost anything to get out of the bad situation that they are currently in even if that means that they need to make sacrifices. The tactic that Jones used to attract people into his cult are tactics that vulnerable and desperate individuals will take grasp to. It is very easy for him to trick them into believing something will be so good that they can't see the possible repercussions that may come along with joining his cult. In the end all of these individuals get burned by him and suffer tremendously.
Another effect that was specifically geared towards Vernon Gosney was the fear that he constantly dealt with. Vernon was very concerned with the fact that he wanted to get out of this cult and didn’t exactly know how to go about doing this without getting caught. He once wrote a note to Leo Ryan asking him to help him escape the cult but failed to mention anything about his son. Because of this mistake that Vernon had made he was afraid that his son would report him for asking Leo to help him escape because he did not mention his name anywhere on the note. Vernon's son could have very well felt like his father was abandoning him and leaving him for dead if his father knew something about the cult that he didn't want his son to know. His son could have felt betrayed and because Vernon knew that he could be possibly turned in by his sone he because very anxious which turned him into a person who was unrecognizable. ]]> 2023-03-08 03:55:27 UTC https://padlet.com/htnguyen696_2/r368d0aepvhmt92k/wish/2507991355 Groupthink Prevention htnguyen696_2 https://padlet.com/htnguyen696_2/r368d0aepvhmt92k/wish/2507998272 The prevention of groupthink can be a very complex idea when it comes to this type of situation and it is hard to know if groupthink could have been prevented. However, there was some definitive examples that can push us to believe that groupthink could have been prevented. The most prevalent example is the biggest red flag that came from this whole situation, and that was when Jim Jones instructed the individuals of his cult group to drink a fruit laced with cyanide. This idea that a large group of people would die by mass suicide should have raised questions among the individuals. 
When looking at the aspects of prevention of groupthink we must look at the factors that play a role into allowing groupthink to manifest within a situation. Group's of individuals should be taught how to analyze situation for what they seem to be. They should also be taught how to take each situation and break down and evaluate what may be the positive and negative outcomes that could come from the decisions made. Having the opinions of others and working together will give you multiple scenarios so that a group may be able to make the best decision possible for prosperity.]]> 2023-03-08 04:03:21 UTC https://padlet.com/htnguyen696_2/r368d0aepvhmt92k/wish/2507998272 Symptoms of Groupthink htnguyen696_2 https://padlet.com/htnguyen696_2/r368d0aepvhmt92k/wish/2508012522 Vulnerability: The state of being emotionally or physically available to be exposed/harmed.
example- The individuals who were dealing with racism, poverty, or the effects of the war looking for a "safe haven."

Rational: Being able to make a decision rationally, or by an acquired teaching.
example- The individuals who were pressured to drink the fruit drink that was laced with cyanide were not able to make a decision in which they could decide the positive and negative effects of their decisions.

Desperation: A strong feeling of being sad, fearful, wanting, or hopeful. 
example: Individuals who were impacted by famine, and the hope of having a new life with Jim Jones as he described it as "perfect" gave these people a sense of hopefulness and he knew they were desperate for a better life then the one they had. ]]> 2023-03-08 04:20:00 UTC https://padlet.com/htnguyen696_2/r368d0aepvhmt92k/wish/2508012522 Citations htnguyen696_2 https://padlet.com/htnguyen696_2/r368d0aepvhmt92k/wish/2508016419 “Cult | Religion.” Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/topic/cult.
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“Jonestown Massacre.” Crime Museum, www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/mass-murder/jonestown-massacre/.
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“NPR Choice Page.” Npr.org, 2019, www.npr.org/2017/04/11/523348069/nearly-40-years-later-jonestown-offers-a-lesson-in-demagoguery.
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FBI. “Jonestown | Federal Bureau of Investigation.” Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2016, www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/jonestown.
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