What Was the Jonestown Massacre? On November 18, 1978, Peoples Temple leader Jim Jones instructed all members living in the Jonestown, Guyana compound to commit an act of revolutionary suicide, by drinking poisoned punch. In all, 918 people died that day, nearly a third of whom were children.
In the United States, incest is a sex crime that is usually punishable by law. All incestuous relationships involving minors are illegal; these survivors of incest are protected by child abuse laws2. In all states, incestuous marriages are illegal3. In most states, committing incest is a class C felony3. However, certain states do not have laws explicitly prohibiting incestuous relationships, as long as the people in the relationship do not attempt to marry.
In 1907 Wisconsin made it illegal for epileptic, feeble-minded, and insane people to marry. It declared it a misdemeanor for any in these groups to have sexual intercourse (Vecoli, p. 195). In 1913 Wisconsin also passed a law requiring the presentation of a medical certificate when applying for a marriage license.