Jonestown was a community built by Peoples Temple in Guyana that ended in tragedy with a death toll of 918. “Founded in 1956 by Jim Jones, Peoples Temple accepted everyone into its church and focused on helping those in need. Jones originally founded the People's Temple in Indianapolis, Indiana, but later moved it to Redwood Valley, California, in 1966. Jones had a vision of a communist community, in which everyone lived together in harmony and worked for the common good. (Rosenberg). In 1973, Jim Jones leased land in Guyana, South America, for the community of his dreams. Soon after, Peoples Temple sent people to clear the land for houses and install fences for seclusion. Jonestown was named after their leader, the all-powerful Jim Jones. Jones grew up in a poor family and he told his followers that his family wasn't as loving when he was a child and that they were lucky to have someone who cared for them like he did. He could speak like no other and had complete confidence even with his slight lisp that followed him into adulthood. He founded the People's Temple at a young age and quickly gained many followers. Everyone appreciated him for his community service, his work for equality for African Americans and his humility. Many people said that the feeling of acceptance blinded what was really going on behind the scenes. Everyone thought generous people had given Jones money for the community, but "elderly members turned in their Social Security checks, working adults gave 25 percent of their paychecks to the church and some have given up all their property.” (Unknown). The people who joined the People's Temple gave up everything they owned and gave their money to the Temple to fund it, saving a small amount of money to...... middle of paper ..... .rt, and over 900 people with their whole lives ahead of them, in a good 10 minutes they were dead. If 10 minutes and a little preparation is enough, then who's to say we won't face this again? Then, again and again. Jonestown is a tragedy, but a lesson. The bodies were shipped to Delaware and they only autopsied 7 people. The bodies had been left in the sun so long that they had begun to rot. Most of the identified bodies were not claimed, and many (especially children) could not be identified. Families were alerted, but many did not want to claim that their families were involved in this matter. Some said they were too embarrassed or had no money to bury their loved ones. These 408 bodies were buried in Evergreen Cemetery and, after 33 years of waiting, a memorial was finally built. “People want to be loved,” said Wilson (a survivor). “And I took care of that.” (James).