Jonestown Cult Case Study

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On November 17, 1978 a congressmen named Leo Ryan went to visit Jamestown, Ghana to investigate a cult and the cult activities (About). The cult was led by a man named James Warner Jones but he went by the name Jim Jones. It was alleged that Jones had some type of abuse going on and Ryan wanted to go see for himself. “On November 17, the congressman and reporters were welcomed to the Jonestown compound, to their surprise, with a dinner and evening of entertainment (History).” During Ryan’s visit some member of the cult passed him notes saying they would like for Ryan to help them leave to the cult safely. Also in the notes members begged for Ryan not say anything because the members feared their lives, and didn’t want to face to consequences …show more content…
“Before he left he asked all the members of the cult did anyone want to leave Ghana and go back to the United States (About).” Many members stepped up and said they were ready to go back to the United States. Some of the members who stepped up and said they wanted to go back was in cahoots with Jones. The members that was in cahoots with Joness were secretly armed. Ryan let the member go before he left, he stayed to make sure that everyone who wanted to leave had an opportunity to leave freely. Before Ryan left Jones had some members try to cuts Ryan’s throat, the members did not succeed and Ryan got away in his truck. Ryan made it to the airport safely, but when he arrived the planes where not ready to take them back to the United States. As they waited for the planes to get ready, member in cahoots with Jones started to shoot at Ryan’s truck. While they were shooting the members who really wanted to go back to the United States escaped with little to no harm. But, Ryan and four others died due to gunshot wounds. When Jones got the news that everyone did not die and people had escaped from their near death experience he performed a mass
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