“American Nightmare”, “The Devil in Human Flesh”, “Icon of Evil”. These are all names referring to Charles Manson. Who is Charles Manson? Charles Manson is a musician and American criminal who formed a cult in the California desert in the 1960’s. He is most famously known for his belief in Helter Skelter, a future race war between blacks and whites. Charles Manson’s neglectful childhood resulted in a manipulative and persuasive leader who formed a cult of loyal followers known as the “Manson Family.”
Charles Manson’s course in life was set from the beginning. Charles Milles Maddox was born on November 12, 1934 in Cincinnati, Ohio. “He was born to a 15 year old girl, Kathleen Maddox, who wanted to party rather than be a mother.
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Charlie was absolutely thrilled. “The master manipulator could not have found a more perfect hunting ground. Reinventing himself as a Haight guru and gaining a flock of worshipful followers was irresistible. (King) He soon gathered a number of misfit teenagers telling them that “They could leave behind their biological families to become part of a real family, one that accepted and cherished them for who they were.” (Smith) Though being part of the family wasn’t as pleasant as he made it sound. “Being part of the family meant giving Charlie all of your money and having sex with anyone he told you to.” “New recruits or anyone slipping from his grasp had to prove they trusted him by letting him throw knives at them while they were tied to a tree. If they remained serenely motionless, he praised them; if they flinched he got mad. Soon enough he got them to the point where they would weep with delight when he gave them a smile and trembled with fear at his frown.” (King) Manson had predicted an upcoming race war called Helter Skelter:
Helter Skelter, Manson believed, was going to occur in the summer of 1969 when blacks were going to uprise and slaughter all white people. He told his followers that they would be saved because they would go underground, literally, by traveling to and underground city of gold located in Death Valley. However, when the uprise did not occur, he said that he and his followers must show the blacks how to do it.