3. Rajneeshpuram
This Oregon commune was founded in 1981 by Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. At first they seemed benign, but there were land disputes, cross-cultural conflicts, and other issues, culminating in the creation of an armed militia. In 1984, Rajneesh’s followers tried to win a seat in state government, but their attempts failed even after they bullied 2,000 homeless people to vote for their candidate. Instead, members intentionally contaminated local salad bars with salmonella to suppress the vote. 751 people fell ill and 41 were hospitalized.
