Her report of the horrifyingly appalling conditions prevailing inside the asylum was an eye-opener for the general public and authorities alike. She used the pen name Nellie Bly, which she took from a well-known song at the time, Nelly Bly. Bly was a popular columnist, but she was limited to writing pieces that only addressed women and soon quit in dissatisfaction. Life Story: Elizabeth Cochrane, aka Nellie Bly (1864-1922), Women & The American Story, New-York Historical Society Library and Museum. New-York Historical Society Library. Nellie Bly married manufacturer Robert Seaman in 1895. She stayed up all night to give herself the wide-eyed look of a disturbed woman and began making accusations that the other boarders were insane. She was a pioneer in investigative journalism. Just over seventy-two days after her departure from Hoboken, Bly was back in New York. National Women's History Museum. She often exposed the poor working conditions faced by women. By Barbara Maranzani Updated: Nov 12, 2020. In 1887, at age 23, reporter Nellie Bly, working for Joseph Pulitzer, feigns mental illness to go undercover in notorious Blackwell's Island a woman's insane asylum to expose corruption, abuse and murder. ACTIVISM AND SOCIAL CHANGE; AMERICAN IDENTITY AND CITIZENSHIP, Major support for Women & the American Story provided by, Lead support for New-York Historicals teacher programs provided by. Feb. 1, 2000; Accessed April 27, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1601472. Blys literary success proliferated when she turned the fictional tale of Jules Vernes 1873 novel Around the World in Eighty Days, into reality. After her return, she toured the country as a lecturer. She stayed there until the World rescued her ten days later. [26] She was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, New York City. Safely home, she accused Daz of being a tyrannical czar suppressing the Mexican people and controlling the press. Our experts can answer your tough homework and study questions. In 1888, Bly suggested to her editor at the New York World that she take a trip around the world, attempting to turn the fictional Around the World in Eighty Days (1873) into fact for the first time. The articles were subsequently collected in Six Months in Mexico (1888). She wanted to write a story on the immigrant experience in the United States. Print Page Nellie Bly Nellie Bly, c. 1890. In her first act of stunt journalism for the World, Elizabeth pretended to be mentally ill and arranged to be a patient at New Yorks insane asylum for the poor, Blackwells Island. She was the daughter of Michael Cochran and Mary Jane Kennedy Cochran (second wife). Although Elizabeth never regained the level of stardom she experienced after her trip around the world, she continued to use her writing to shed light on issues of the day. Nellie (her pen name) is the best known of these children, and there is not much information about her 14 siblings. Nellie Bly Lesson for Kids: Biography & Facts. Nellie Bly tied the nuptial knot in 1895 with the millionaire manufacturer Robert Seaman. (New York, N.Y.), 14 Nov. 1889. Does Nellie have any. Her illustrious career also included a headline-making journey around the world, running an oil manufacturing firm, and reporting on World War I from Europe. In 2015, director Timothy Hines released 10 Days in a Madhouse, which also depicts Bly's harrowing experience in the asylum. Her straightforward yet compassionate approach to these issues captivated audiences. On January 25, 1890, the world waited for a young reporter named Nellie Bly to arrive back home. How many siblings did Deborah Sampson have? In the piece, writer Erasmus Wilson (known to Dispatch readers as the "Quiet Observer," or Q.O.) Bly was born Elizabeth Jane Cochran (she later added an "e" to the end of her name) on May 5, 1864, in Cochran's Mills, Pennsylvania. Taking on the pen name by which she's best known, after a Stephen Foster song, she sought to highlight the negative consequences of sexist ideologies and the importance of women's rights issues. [68], Bly is one of 100 women featured in the first version of the book Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls written by Elena Favilli & Francesca Cavallo. Bly, Nellie. She started a new trend in reporting that earned her recognition as an undercover reporter. She completed circumnavigating the world in just 72 days and recorded her travel experiences in a book titled Around the World in 72 Days. How many siblings did Sojourner Truth have? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Religious Experience and Journal of Mrs. Jarena Lee: giving an account of her call to preach the gospel, frontispiece. In 1887, Bly relocated to New York City and began working for the New York World, the publication that later became famously known for spearheading "yellow journalism." [1] [2] Elizabeth traveled light, taking only the dress she wore, a cape, and a small travelers bag. She was 57 years of age. A number of positive changes were made after the release of the book. [33] Bly was 31 and Seaman was 73 when they married. Her report on the horrifyingly conditions inside the asylum led to numerous reforms in the living condition of the mental patients. The column, which appeared in The Dispatch on February 1, 1885, was bylined "Nellie Bly.". [49], During the 1990s, playwright Lynn Schrichte wrote and toured Did You Lie, Nellie Bly?, a one-woman show about Bly. However, not long after beginning her courses there, financial constraints forced Bly to table her hopes for higher education. [19] When Mexican authorities learned of Bly's report, they threatened her with arrest, prompting her to flee the country. The show ran for 16 performances. [45] The winning proposal, The Girl Puzzle by Amanda Matthews, was announced on October 16, 2019. [citation needed] Julia Duffy appeared as Bly in the July 10, 1983 Voyagers! All Rights Reserved. Chien-shiung Wu (1912-1997), professor of physics at Columbia University, 1963. Bly died of pneumonia at the age of 57 in 1922. Bolstered by continuous coverage in the World, Bly earned international stardom for her months-long stunt, and her fame continued to grow after she safely returned to her native state and her record-setting achievement was announced. How many siblings did Amy Carmichael have? https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nellie-Bly, Spartacus Educational - Biography of Nellie Bly, Social Welfare History Project - Biography of Nellie Bly, The MY HERO Project - Biography of Nellie Bly, National Women's History Museum - Biography of Nellie Bly, Nellie Bly - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Nellie Blys Book: Around the World in Seventy-two Days. One of the protagonist's adventures in the 2003 film "The Adventures of Ociee Nash" is meeting Nellie Bly (Donna Wright) on a train. How many siblings did Lucretia Garfield have? How many siblings did Patricia Bath have? The high point of Cochranes career at the World began on November 14, 1889, when she sailed from New York to beat the record of Phileas Fogg, hero of Jules Vernes romance Around the World in Eighty Days. It was initially published as a series of articles for the New York World. Jarena Lee, 1849. 1985.212. Madden offered her an opportunity to write another column, and after she submitted her column on how divorce affects women, he hired her for the newspaper (giving her the pseudonym Nellie Bly). Nellie Bly was a journalist at a time when there were very few women in the workforce. A fireboat named Nellie Bly operated in Toronto, Canada, in the first decade of the 20th century. [56], Bly was also a subject of Season 2 Episode 5 of The West Wing in which First Lady Abbey Bartlet dedicates a memorial in Pennsylvania in honor of Nellie Bly and convinces the president to mention her and other female historic figures during his weekly radio address. Nellie Bly gained international stardom for her world tour stunt that multiplied her fame. She completed the trip in 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes and 14 seconds, setting a new world record. Nellie Bly managed to circumnavigate the world in just 72 days, eight less than Jules Verne's fictitious hero, Phileas Fogg, who inspired the feat. She went undercover to expose an insane asylums horrors. At the age of 30, Bly married millionaire Robert Seamen and retired from journalism. How many brothers and sisters did Abigail Adams have? [10] In 1880, Cochrane's mother moved her family to Allegheny City, which was later annexed by the City of Pittsburgh. 1750. Elizabeth Cochran Seaman (born Elizabeth Jane Cochran; May 5, 1864 - January 27, 1922), better known by her pen name Nellie Bly, was an American journalist, who was widely known for her record-breaking trip around the world in 72 days, in emulation of Jules Verne 's fictional character Phileas Fogg, and an expos in which she worked undercover to There have been claims that Bly invented the barrel,[35] but the inventor was registered as Henry Wehrhahn (U.S. Goodman, Matthew. How many siblings did Warren G. Harding have? On May 5, 2015, the Google search engine produced an interactive "Google Doodle" for Bly; for the "Google Doodle" Karen O wrote, composed, and recorded an original song about Bly, and Katy Wu created an animation set to Karen O's music. Nellie was born on May 5, 1864 in a city called Cochran's Millis in the United States. "Bly, Nellie (1864-1922), reporter and manufacturer. Elizabeth had fourteen siblings. [15] In one report, she protested the imprisonment of a local journalist for criticizing the Mexican government, then a dictatorship under Porfirio Daz. Best Known For: Nellie Bly was known for her pioneering journalism, including her 1887 expos on the conditions of asylum patients at Blackwell's Island in New York City and her report of her 72-day trip around the world. Before becoming an investigative journalist and travelling around the world in 72 days,. Working for Joseph Pulitzer's New York World, Bly gained national fame for her undercover work as a patient in a women's mental asylum in New York City. Her image was used on everything from playing cards to board games. At the . Within her lifetime, Nellie Bly published three non-fiction books (compilations of her newspaper reportage) and one novel in book form. Elizabeth marched into the Dispatch offices and introduced herself. Elizabeth too began writing under the pen name Nellie Bly after the Stephen Foster song. Nellie Bly was born as Elizabeth Jane Cochran on May 5, 1864 in Cochrans Mills, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, to a mill worker Michael Cochran and his wife Mary Jane. She had circumnavigated the globe, traveling alone for almost the entire journey. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Who Is Dilbert Cartoonist Scott Adams? 10 Days in a Madhouse: Directed by Timothy Hines. The majority of her writings were literary works. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/nellie-bly-9296.php. On train, ship, rickshaw, horse, and donkey . In 1904, when her husband died, Bly took over the reign of the company. Given the green light to try the feat by the New York World, Bly embarked on her journey from Hoboken, New Jersey, in November 1889, traveling first by ship and later also via horse, rickshaw, sampan, burro and other vehicles. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division Washington, D.C. Smithsonian Institute Archives Image # SIA 2010-1509. [48], Bly was the subject of the 1946 Broadway musical Nellie Bly by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen. In a tribute after her death, the acclaimed newspaper editor Arthur Brisbane remembered Bly as the best reporter in America., Kroeger, Brooke. It shed light on the disturbing living condition of patients, the neglect on part of the authorities and the physical abuse meted out to patients. Born Elizabeth Cochran Seaman, Nellie Bly grew up in Pennsylvania in an area that is now a suburb of Pittsburgh. 1. When she returned, she was again assigned to the society page and promptly quit in protest. Bly's future began to look brighter in the early 1880s, when, at the age of 18, she submitted a racy response to an editorial piece that had been published in the Pittsburgh Dispatch. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Bly looked for work to help support her family, but found fewer opportunities than her less-educated brothers. She left the newspaper industry after her marriage to serve as the president of her husbands company, Iron Clad Manufacturing Co. As a social reformer she gave over-the-top perks to her employees but the scheme cost the company so dearly that it went bankrupt. How many children did Abigail Adams have? episode "Jack's Back". How many siblings did Marie Antoinette have? Astrological Sign: Taurus, Death Year: 1922, Death date: January 27, 1922, Death State: New York, Death City: New York, Death Country: United States, Article Title: Nellie Bly Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/activist/nellie-bly, Publisher: A&E Television Networks, Last Updated: April 19, 2021, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. However, the newspaper soon received complaints from factory owners about her writing, and she was reassigned to women's pages to cover fashion, society, and gardening, the usual role for women journalists, and she became dissatisfied. [8], As a young girl, Elizabeth often was called "Pinky" because she so frequently wore that color. The story of Nellie Bly, the pen name of a young reporter named Elizabeth Cochran, has been told and retold ever since she burst onto the scene in 1887. American investigative journalist (18641922), Elizabeth Cochran, "Nellie Bly," aged about 26. Michael Cochran began his career in the mills outside Pittsburgh, until he was able to earn enough to buy the mill. Life Story: Elizabeth Cochrane, aka Nellie Bly (1864-1922) World-Traveling Journalist and Muckraker The story of an investigative journalist who used her career to shed light on the horrors of urban life and break gender stereotypes. She challenged the stereotypical assumption that women could not travel without many suitcases, outfit changes, and vanity items. [39] Bly was the first woman and one of the first foreigners to visit the war zone between Serbia and Austria. How many siblings did Anne Sullivan have? How many siblings did Catherine of Aragon have? As was the trend then, women writers wrote under pen names. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! [67], A fictionalized account of Bly's around-the-world trip was used in the 2010 comic book Julie Walker Is The Phantom published by Moonstone Books (Story: Elizabeth Massie, art: Paul Daly, colors: Stephen Downer). In 1911, she returned to journalism as a reporter for the New York Evening Journal. "[22] She refused to go to bed and eventually scared so many of the other boarders that the police were called to take her to the nearby courthouse. Nellie Blys Book: Around the World in Seventy-two Days (1890) was a great popular success, and the name Nellie Bly became a synonym for a female star reporter. . She published her articles in a book titled 10 Days in A Mad House. In business, her curiosity and independent spirit flourished. As few copies of the paper survived, these novels were thought lost until 2021, when author David Blixt announced their discovery, found in Munro's British weekly The London Story Paper. For the same, she feigned insanity to get into the asylum and have a first-hand experience of the treatment meted out to patients. How many children did Catherine Parr have? Upon her husbands death in 1904, Bly took the helm of his Iron Clad Manufacturing Co. During her time there, she began manufacturing the first practical 55-gallon steel oil drum, which evolved into the standard one used today. Her real name was Elizabeth Jane Cochrane; Nellie Bly was her pen name and the name under which she is most well-known. A progressive social reformer and activist, Jane Addams was on the frontline of the settlement house movement and was the first American woman to wina Nobel Peace Prize. She went undercover at a factory where she experienced unsafe working conditions, poor wages, and long hours. How many siblings did Mary McLeod Bethune have. Nellie Bly: Daredevil, Reporter, Feminist. Nellie Bly's stint in the facility wasn't necessarily how she envisioned making a name for herself. Young Elizabeth attended boarding school but just for a term before dropping out due to insufficient funds. How many siblings did Althea Gibson have? Michael had 10 children with his first wife and five more with Mary Jane, who had no prior children. Gertrude Kasebier (photographer), Zitkala Sa, Sioux Indian and activist, c. 1898. She uncovered the abuse of women by male police officers, identified an employment agency that was stealing from immigrants, and exposed corrupt politicians. [53] In 2019, the Center for Investigative Reporting released Nellie Bly Makes the News, a short animated biographical film. Between 1889 and 1895, Nellie Bly also penned twelve novels for The New York Family Story Paper. At a time when women reporters were generally restricted to womens page reporting, Bly covered wider issues beyond just gardening or lifestyle and concentrated on slum life and other important topics. How many siblings did Frances Hodgson Burnett have? [66] David Blixt also appeared on a March 10, 2021 episode of the podcast Broads You Should Know as a Nellie Bly expert. For a time, she was one of the leading women industrialists in the United States. Patents 808,327 and 808,413). Blys husband died in 1903, leaving her in control of the massive Iron Clad Manufacturing Company and American Steel Barrel Company. [42] Bly was one of four journalists honored with a US postage stamp in a "Women in Journalism" set in 2002. Cochran's Mills, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Burrell Township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story, An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster, "She went undercover to expose an insane asylum's horrors. Elizabeths writing career started abruptly and unintentionally. Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Nellie Bly, Birth Year: 1864, Birth date: May 5, 1864, Birth State: Pennsylvania, Birth City: Cochran's Mills, Birth Country: United States. She married millionaire Robert Seaman in 1895, but after his death she suffered financial reverses, and she returned to newspaper work on the New York Journal in 1920. July 28, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/07/28/she-went-undercover-expose-an-insane-asylums-horrors-now-nellie-bly-is-getting-her-due/. Bly followed her Blackwell's expos with similar investigative work, including editorials detailing the improper treatment of individuals in New York jails and factories, corruption in the state legislature and other first-hand accounts of malfeasance. Her honest reporting about the horrors of workers lives attracted negative attention from local factory owners. To what extent did Elizabeths trip around the world redefine ideas of what it meant to be a woman? She was one of 15 children. Following her marriage, she retired from journalism and became the president of her husbands Iron Clad Manufacturing Company. The editor, Joseph Pulitzer, declined that story, but he challenged Bly to investigate one of New Yorks most notorious mental asylums, Blackwells Island. Journalist Nellie Bly began writing for the Pittsburgh Dispatch in 1885. This is a short thirty-minute lesson on Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. How might Elizabeths position as a woman have helped her investigative reporting? There were nearly one million entries in the contest. on New Yorks ills, such as corruption in the state legislature, unscrupulous employment agencies for domestic workers, and the black market for buying infants. [24] She had a significant impact on American culture and shed light on the experiences of marginalized women beyond the bounds of the asylum as she ushered in the era of stunt girl journalism. In this lesson, students will experience the tragedy of the commons through a team activity in which they compete for resources. Her father had ten children from his first marriage and five children from his second marriage to Elizabeths mother, Mary Jane Kennedy. [26], Back in reporting, she covered the Woman Suffrage Procession of 1913 for the New York Evening Journal. These changes included a larger appropriation of funds for the care of mentally ill patients, additional physician appointments for stronger supervision of nurses and other healthcare workers, and regulations to prevent overcrowding and fire hazards at the city's medical facilities. She moved to New York City in 1886, but found it extremely difficult to find work as a female reporter in the male-dominated field. [28] Bly's journey was a world record, though it only stood for a few months, until George Francis Train completed the journey in 67 days.[31]. Faced with such dwindling finances, Bly consequently re-entered the newspaper industry. Bly later compiled the articles into a book, being published by Ian L. Munro in New York City in 1887. Nellie started boarding school but had to drop out after only one term since her parents did not have enough money to pay for the school. The evening world. And much of this has to do with her firsthand account of life in an insane asylum. Those words, describing New York City's most notorious mental institution, were written by journalist Nellie Bly in 1887. The marriage was the second one for both Michael and Bly's mother, Mary Jane, who wed after the deaths of their first spouses. Bernard, Karen. Nellie Bly died of pneumonia when she was 57. American National Biography. Nellie Bly was born Elizabeth Jane Cochran on May 5, 1864 in Cochran's Mill, Pennsylvania. How many siblings did Angelina Grimke have? Cochrans editor chose the name Nelly Bly from a Stephen Foster song. How many brothers and sisters did Jimmy Carter have?