After the in-class viewing of the film Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples

Temple write an essay of 1000-1200 words in length that analyzes the Jonestown
tragedy according to the historical and cultural influences of the 1970s.

What is going on historically in the 1950s-1970s that creates so much social

upheaval in America?
In the time period between 1950 through 1970, there was extreme racism and
segregation. There was also extreme poverty.korean war began in 1950, South
Africans Forced to Carry ID Cards Identifying Race 1951, Truman Signs Peace Treaty
with Japan, Officially Ending WWII 1951. Joseph stalin dies in 1953, emmet till
murder 1955, Montgomery bus boycott and rosa parks 1955, JFK was assassinated
in 1963, civil rights act passed in 1964, los angeles riots in 1965, black panther part
established 1966, national organization ofr women founded 1966, thurgood Marshall
Becomes the First African-American U.S. Supreme Court Justice, mlk assassinated in 1968,
kent state shootings 1970, Watergate scandal 1972, roe vs. wade legalizes abortion
in the us 1973, us pulls out of Vietnam and vice pres. Resigns 1973, ted bundy
begins killing spree 1974, Nixon resigns 1974, Arthur Ashe First Black Man to Win
Wimbledon 1975, Two Assassination Attempts Against U.S. President Gerald Ford
1975, Serial Killer David Berkowitz (Son of Sam) Begins Killing Spree 1976, elvis
died 1977, Jonestown massacre 1978,

Why are people in the 1950s-1970s so hungry for new religious answers to their
problems and how does Jim Jones offer them an answer?
There was war and racism that made people feel the need for someone to protect
them and thats what Jim jones offered. He offered a safe place to people who
werent for segregation. He made them feel like he was able to make all their
problems disappear. Presidents were not as upstanding as people thought and they
couldnt feel protected by them (the presidents), thats why people relied on Jim
Jones, because he told them he dedicated his life to protecting them.

How does Jones convince hundreds of people in the end to voluntarily commit
suicide?

He convinced everyone through constant lies told over a PA system that the United
States of America was trying to get rid of all blacks and minorities and that they
were going to come to the compound and kill all of the people of the Peoples
Temple. He created constant fear of everything falling apart. He made people fear
talking about going home and made people turn in those that dared mention
wanting to leave.

While it is an extreme example, how is Peoples Temple part of the religious cultural
trend of the
1950s-1970s and how does it compare to other religious movements of the time?

Peoples Temple was a part of the religious culture trend because the trend was
extreme religion, people became Jesus freaks who dedicated their whole lives to
religion because everything else around them was falling apart. People would put all
they had in to the church because it made them feel purposeful and safe. Jim jones
took advantage of how much people needed to feel in control of their lives and
managed to ironically take away all their control without them noticing.