When Elizabeth Cochran began in journalism in 1885, it was considered inappropriate for a woman to write under her own name. In it, she explained that New York City invested more money into care for the mentally ill after her articles were published. What does that mean, and how did her writing contribute to reform efforts on a variety of issues? 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. Nellie Bly died of pneumonia when she was 57. Nellie Bly was born Elizabeth Jane Cochran on May 5, 1864 in Cochran's Mill, Pennsylvania. During her travels around the world, she went through England, France, Brindisi, the Suez Canal, Colombo, the Straits Settlements of Penang and Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan. Unfortunately, Bly did not manage the finances well and fell victim to fraud by employees that led the firm to declare bankruptcy. [15] In one report, she protested the imprisonment of a local journalist for criticizing the Mexican government, then a dictatorship under Porfirio Daz. Lib. This prompted Elizabeth to write a response under the pseudonym "Lonely Orphan Girl". In it, she argued for reform of divorce laws. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. 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 no. After her return, she toured the country as a lecturer. [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). She lived there as an international correspondent for the Dispatch for six months. Nellie Bly, pseudonym of Elizabeth Cochrane, also spelled Cochran, (born May 5, 1864, Cochrans Mills, Pennsylvania, U.S.died January 27, 1922, New York, New York), American journalist whose around-the-world race against a fictional record brought her world renown. As a child she wore it so often she was nicknamed Pinky. She was 57 years old. [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 Catherine of Aragon have? Wanting to write pieces that addressed both men and women, Bly began looking for a newspaper that would allow her to write on more serious topics. [55], Anne Helm appeared as Nellie Bly in the November 21, 1960, Tales of Wells Fargo TV episode "The Killing of Johnny Lash". Ultimately, the costs of these benefits began to mount and drain her inheritance. As she became a teenager, she wanted to portray herself as more sophisticated, and she dropped the nickname and changed her surname to "Cochrane". How many siblings did Warren G. Harding have? [21], It was not easy for Bly to be admitted to the Asylum: she first decided to check herself into a boarding house called "Temporary Homes for Females". When Robert died in 1904, Elizabeth briefly took over as president of his companies. One of Bly's earliest assignments was to author a piece detailing the experiences endured by patients of the infamous mental institution on Blackwell's Island (now Roosevelt Island) in New York City. [35], That same year, Iron Clad began manufacturing the steel barrel that was the model for the 55-gallon oil drum still in widespread use in the United States. The newspapers editor, George Madden, saw potential in her piece and invited her to work for the Dispatch as a reporter. What might she have been able to do that men could not? The most famous of Elizabeths stunts was her successful seventy-two-day trip around the world in 1889, for which she had two goals. She completed circumnavigating the world in just 72 days and recorded her travel experiences in a book titled Around the World in 72 Days. A number of positive changes were made after the release of the book. In 1895, Elizabeth retired from writing and married Robert Livingston Seaman. Bly looked for work to help support her family, but found fewer opportunities than her less-educated brothers. Bly later enrolled at the Indiana Normal School, a small college in Indiana, Pennsylvania, where she studied to become a teacher. How many sisters did Charles Dickens have? [11], Burdened again with theater and arts reporting, Bly left the Pittsburgh Dispatch in 1887 for New York City. Bly died of pneumonia at the age of 57 in 1922. After leaving the school, she moved with her mother to the nearby city of Pittsburgh, where they ran a boarding house together. She also became renowned for her investigative and undercover reporting, including posing as a sweatshop worker to expose poor working conditions faced by women. How many blood siblings did Queen Isabella have? He had 10 children with his first wife, Catherine Murphy, and 5 more children, including Elizabeth Cochran his thirteenth daughter, with his second wife, Mary Jane Kennedy. Nellie Bly was an unwavering advocate for social change, a journalistic dynamo, and a force of nature. Elizabeth Cochran was born on May 5, 1864 in Cochrans Mills, Pennsylvania. Before becoming an investigative journalist and travelling around the world in 72 days,. The articles were subsequently collected in Six Months in Mexico (1888). Here are 10 facts about Nellie Bly. At the age of 30, Bly married millionaire Robert Seamen and retired from journalism. Bernard, Karen. When Cochrane introduced herself to the editor, he offered her the opportunity to write a piece for the newspaper, again under the pseudonym "Lonely Orphan Girl". [48], Bly was the subject of the 1946 Broadway musical Nellie Bly by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen. Her father, Michael Cochran, owned a lucrative mill and served as associate justice of Armstrong County. siblings: Harry Cummings Cochrane. During World War I, she traveled to Europe as the first woman to report from the trenches on the front line. [citation needed] Julia Duffy appeared as Bly in the July 10, 1983 Voyagers! She was six years old when her beloved father died without warning, and without a will, plunging his once wealthy and respected family into poverty and shame. (New York, N.Y.), 14 Nov. 1889. Although several newspapers turned down her application because she was a woman, she was eventually given the opportunity to write for Joseph Pulitzers New York World. With an attempt to break the faux record of the character of Phileas Fogg, Bly began her 24, 899 mile journey on November 14, 1889, boarding the Augusta Victoria. How many brothers and sisters did Amelia Earhart have? Bly went on to patent several inventions related to oil manufacturing, many of which are still used today. In it, she explores the country's people and customs, and even stumbles upon marijuana. [42] Bly was one of four journalists honored with a US postage stamp in a "Women in Journalism" set in 2002. How many siblings did Molly Pitcher have? Toshiko Akiyoshi changed the face of jazz music over her sixty-year career. [9] In 1879, she enrolled at Indiana Normal School (now Indiana University of Pennsylvania) for one term but was forced to drop out due to lack of funds. Activist journalists like Elizabethcommonly known as muckrakerswere an important part of reform movements. [10] In 1880, Cochrane's mother moved her family to Allegheny City, which was later annexed by the City of Pittsburgh. Ten Days in the Madhouse. A Celebration of Women Writers. While still working as a writer, Bly died from pneumonia on January 27, 1922. [1] [2] In response to an article in the. Between 1889 and 1895 she wrote eleven novels. Bly not only accepted the challenge, she decided to feign mental illness to gain admission and expose firsthand how patients were treated. [46] The Girl Puzzle opened to the public in December, 2021. How many siblings did Emmeline Pankhurst have? To escape writing about womens issues on the society page, Elizabeth volunteered to travel to Mexico. [4][5][6] Her father, Michael Cochran, born about 1810, started out as a laborer and mill worker before buying the local mill and most of the land surrounding his family farmhouse. Born in 1864, Bly was the thirteenth of 15 children in a family headed by Michael Cochran, a mill owner and county judge. 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. He later became a merchant, postmaster, and associate justice at Cochran's Mills (which was named after him) in Pennsylvania. On train, ship, rickshaw, horse, and donkey . On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Bly accomplished her goal with days to spare, and, as with her experience in the asylum, her report became a book, Around the World in Seventy-Two Days (1890). By Barbara Maranzani Updated: Nov 12, 2020. She often exposed the poor working conditions faced by women. New-York Historical Society Library. Blys successful career reached new heights in 1889 when she decided to travel around the world after reading the popular book by Jules Verne, Around the World in 80 Days. Kroeger, Brooke. The majority of her writings were literary works. And much of this has to do with her firsthand account of life in an insane asylum. Nellie's father was a successful businessman and a good parent to Nellie and her four siblings. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. When she returned, she was again assigned to the society page and promptly quit in protest. Into the Madhouse with Nellie Bly: Girl Stunt Reporting in the Late Nineteenth Century America. American Quarterly, 54 no 2. How many siblings did Queen Elizabeth I have? Engraving. Nellie Bly was ousted from Mexico after she ran a series of articles criticizing the Mexican dictator and ruler, Porfirio Diaz. Her report, published 9 October 1887[23] and later in book form as Ten Days in a Mad-House, caused a sensation, prompted the asylum to implement reforms, and brought her lasting fame. Nellie Bly's stint in the facility wasn't necessarily how she envisioned making a name for herself. She stayed there until the World rescued her ten days later. Nellie Bly was a nationally significant journalist at the New York World. Blys six-part series on her experience in the asylum was called Ten Days in the Madhouse and quickly made Bly one of the most famous journalists in the country. How many siblings did Susan B. Anthony have? She faced rejection after rejection as news editors would not consider hiring a woman. 2022. www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/nellie-bly. [57], Bly has been the subject of two episodes of the Comedy Central series Drunk History. [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. Elizabeth knew that she would need to support herself financially. [13] Her first article for the Dispatch, titled "The Girl Puzzle", argued that not all women would marry and that what was needed were better jobs for women. The show ran for 16 performances. 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. Oil on canvas. 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. From France she went to Italy and Egypt, through South Asia to Singapore and Japan, then to San Francisco and back to New York. This is a short thirty-minute lesson on Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. Read free previews and reviews from booklovers. Those words, describing New York City's most notorious mental institution, were written by journalist Nellie Bly in 1887. In 1889, the paper sent her on a trip around the world in a record-setting 72 days. She went undercover to expose an insane asylums horrors. Her straightforward yet compassionate approach to these issues captivated audiences. Nellie Bly tied the nuptial knot in 1895 with the millionaire manufacturer Robert Seaman. Her work, which was later reprinted as a book titled Ten Days in a Mad House spurred a large-scale investigation of the institution as well as the much-needed improvements in health care. How many siblings did Mary Livermore have? [20] Penniless after four months, she talked her way into the offices of Joseph Pulitzer's newspaper the New York World and took an undercover assignment for which she agreed to feign insanity to investigate reports of brutality and neglect at the Women's Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell's Island, now named Roosevelt Island. To what extent did Elizabeths trip around the world redefine ideas of what it meant to be a woman? The evening world. Watch Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story on Lifetime Movie Club.