Peoples Temple Collection; Box 14, Virtual Item 21, Q384 - Part 2, Jonestown in crisis (mid-October 1978)

Digital Record

Identifier: ms-0183_14.21 Part 2

Staff Only

Digital Object (mixed_materials)

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Dates

Digitized: mid-October 1978

Creator

Peoples Temple (Organization)
Jones, Jim (Jones, James Warren) (Person)

Summary Note

This tape consists of a series of messages that Jim Jones – and one unidentified male in one segment – gives to the Jonestown community during a series of perceived crises that rocked the Jonestown community in mid-October 1978. Whether Jones addresses the issues of low productivity, people contemplating suicides, runaways, or emigration to the Soviet Union – and whether Jones discusses these matters in conversational, deliberative or excited tones – it is apparent that the calm and steady experiment in socialism has spiraled out of his control, at least for the duration of this tape. Some of the reprimands along the way are out of context (who ran away? what precipitated his demand to stay away from his cabin? what is going on that he feels compelled to order people to smile?), but the overall sense is of a man trying to treat a deep gash with a single Band-Aid. Full summary of the recording available at Alternative Considerations of Jonestown website, along with the tape transcript.

Rights Statement Note

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