How did Charles Manson become the leader of the Manson Family?

Charles Manson became the leader of the "Manson Family" after his release from prison in 1967, when he moved to the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco.12

Leveraging his experience as a musician, the 32-year-old Manson established himself as a guru within the city's bohemian youth culture. He attracted a devoted group of followers—primarily young, middle-class women—by presenting the group as a communal family that offered a sense of belonging to teenage runaways.12

Manson maintained control over his followers through a combination of psychological manipulation, abuse, and the encouragement of heavy drug use. He implemented an idiosyncratic philosophy that drew from occultism, Scientology, and fringe psychology. Central to his leadership was the preaching of an apocalyptic race war he termed "Helter Skelter," which he claimed would result in the Family eventually dominating the world.12