15. The Manson Family

Photo Credit: Public Domain

Undoubtedly the most-recognized cult in American history, the Manson Family was led by the enigmatic Charles Manson, a career criminal who used his powers of persuasion to control a group of young hippies in the late 1960s.

Manson’s followers were typically young men and women who dropped out of society to experience free love and unlimited drug use. The group lived on different ranches in remote parts of California. The “free love” experiment ended in terror when, over the course of two nights in August 1969, Manson’s followers brutally killed 7 people in Los Angeles.

16. Rajneeshpuram

The recent Netflix documentary series Wild, Wild Country is based on the exploits of the Oregon-based cult Rajneeshpuram. The group was led by Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and attempted to form a utopian community in an isolated area.

17. Heaven’s Gate

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Heaven’s Gate gained the attention of the world when 39 members of the group committed suicide in San Diego, California in 1997.

The cult was led by a man named Marshall Applewhite and its members believed that in death they would board an alien spacecraft that was following the Hale-Bopp comet.

18. The Branch Davidians

Photo Credit: Public Domain

Yet another doomsday cult that met a violent demise. The Branch Davidians‘ 1993 standoff with federal authorities at their compound ended in the deaths of 76 followers, including cult leader David Koresh.