Peoples Temple, New religious movement in Indianapolis, United States.
Peoples Temple was a new religious movement that maintained multiple locations across California, establishing centers in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and other major urban areas. The organization also operated an agricultural settlement called Jonestown in Guyana, where members lived and worked together.
The religious organization was founded in 1955 by Jim Jones in Indiana and relocated to California during the 1960s. It later established a remote settlement in the jungles of Guyana to build a self-sufficient community there.
The movement combined Protestant Christian teachings with socialist principles and promoted racial integration during the segregation period in the United States. Its services took place in urban centers where members from different ethnic backgrounds gathered and practiced shared rituals together.
There are no physical sites or centers remaining that are accessible to visitors, as the organization dissolved in 1978. Historical documents and archival materials can be viewed at various museums and academic collections that focus on American religious history.
The organization ended on November 18, 1978, when 918 members died in Jonestown, Guyana, marking the largest loss of American civilian life before September 11. This event led to fundamental changes in legal oversight of religious groups and shaped public awareness of cults permanently.
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