Charles Manson is known as the leader of the Manson Family cult which participated in many killings in the state of California during the 1960’s. The members of the Manson family are: Charles Manson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Kernwinkel, Leslie Van Houten, Charles “Tex” Watson, Lynette Fromme and many others. Charles Manson was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on November 12, 1934. His mother, Kathleen Maddox was an alcohol addict and neglected Manson during most of his childhood. Manson, being a burden to his mother, was then sent to a reform school in which he later escaped from. He also lived with his extremely religious relatives but it seems that they were not able to control his disorderly personality and he involved himself in petty crimes such …show more content…
After president Kennedy was assassinated, many youth began to doubt the government. Ideas of government conspiracy and cover ups began to appear. The vietnam war had also been active for many years and people were tired of it. Protests for peace, anti-Vietnam marches and strikes began to arise. Hippies turned to drugs and music to rebel against society and to regain their freedom. Since many people were experimenting with drugs at the time, they were available almost everywhere making it easy for the Manson family members to indulge and get a hold of them. Besides drugs and music, people also began to partake in a different lifestyle. Eating organic foods rather than processed ones, expanding their sexual relations and making nudity acceptable were all part of the new lifestyle and the rebellion against society. These were all things that the manson family members participated in. It was a norm at the time, and the idea of freedom was widespread. As mentioned in Inside New Memoir of Life in the Manson Family written by Elizabeth Yuck and published by Rolling Stone, “alongside the free love and shunning of worldly possessions in favor of a simpler life, there was also sexual and psychological manipulation and abuse.” This era definitely made it easier for Charles Manson to justify his actions and form a cult that not only committed petty crimes, but also went as far as committing murder. It would have been much harder for Manson to form a cult if it wasn't for this