The story of an investigative journalist who used her career to shed light on the horrors of urban life and break gender stereotypes. Nellie Bly was a journalist at a time when there were very few women in the workforce. On the final lap of her journey, the World transported her from San Francisco to New York by special train; she was greeted everywhere by brass bands, fireworks, and like panoply. [70], The Nellie Bly Amusement Park in Brooklyn, New York City, was named after her, taking as its theme Around the World in Eighty Days. The park reopened in 2007[71] under new management, renamed "Adventurers Amusement Park". Biography of Nellie Bly, Investigative Journalist, World Traveler. Nellie Bly: Around the World in 72 Days. Senator John Heinz History Center. After the fanfare of her trip around the world, Bly quit reporting and took a lucrative job writing serial novels for publisher Norman Munro's weekly New York Family Story Paper. 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 brothers and sisters did Abigail Adams have? A misogynistic column in the daily, The Pittsburgh Dispatch, prompted her to pen a fiery rebuttal to the editor under the pseudonym Lonely Orphan Girl. Such was the impression of her writing that it won her a full-time employment with the newspaper. In this lesson, students will experience the tragedy of the commons through a team activity in which they compete for resources. When she returned, she was again assigned to the society page and promptly quit in protest. The Historic New Orleans Collection, acc. Bly later enrolled at the Indiana Normal School, a small college in Indiana, Pennsylvania, where she studied to become a teacher. Nellie Bly gained international stardom for her world tour stunt that multiplied her fame. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division Washington, D.C. She also prioritized the welfare of the employees, providing health care benefits and recreational facilities. Also around this time, she retired from journalism, and by all accounts, the couple enjoyed a happy marriage. The most famous of Elizabeths stunts was her successful seventy-two-day trip around the world in 1889, for which she had two goals. The New York World completely supported her ambitious feat. Who Was Nellie Bly and What Was She Famous For? - WorldAtlas How many sisters did Charles Dickens have? Nellie Bly | National Women's History Museum She had several siblings and half-siblings. This is a short thirty-minute lesson on Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. But Bly held the record for only a few months before it was broken by businessman George Francis Train who completed the journey in 67 days. 10 Facts About Nellie Bly | History Hit She often exposed the poor working conditions faced by women. Between 1889 and 1895, Nellie Bly also penned twelve novels for The New York Family Story Paper. Lib. By Barbara Maranzani Updated: Nov 12, 2020. [40], On January 27, 1922, Bly died of pneumonia at St. Mark's Hospital, New York City, aged 57. He later became a merchant, postmaster, and associate justice at Cochran's Mills (which was named after him) in Pennsylvania. She was inducted as a part of the expert team launched to better the conditions prevailing at the asylum. How many siblings did Zora Neale Hurston have? Her reporting on life in the asylum shocked the public and led to increased funding to improve conditions in the institution. How many siblings did Dorothy Vaughan have? Nellie Bly was a nationally significant journalist at the New York World. To what extent did Elizabeths trip around the world redefine ideas of what it meant to be a woman? Nellie Bly died of pneumonia when she was 57. Chien-shiung Wu (1912-1997), professor of physics at Columbia University, 1963. Corrections? Furthermore, her hands-on approach to reporting developed into a practice now called investigative journalism. 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. 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. At the age of 15, she enrolled in the State Normal School in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and an added an e to her last name to sound more distinguished. How many brothers and sisters did Theodore Roosevelt have? NASA on The Commons, via flickr, Home / Modernizing America, 1889-1920 / Modern Womanhood / Life Story: Nellie Bly. How many siblings did Althea Gibson have? 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. She moved back to Pittsburgh to help her mother run a boarding house. Abrams is now one of the most prominent African American female politicians in the United States. Nellie Bly, c. 1890. New York: Crown, 1994. There have been claims that Bly invented the barrel,[35] but the inventor was registered as Henry Wehrhahn (U.S. 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. Interestingly, rival newspaper New York Cosmopolitan had sent their reporter Elizabeth Bisland on a similar journey but she arrived four days later. 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. How many siblings did Dorothy Height 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. How many siblings did Queen Elizabeth I have? "Pink," as she was known in childhood, was the youngest of 13 (or 15, according . 10 Days in a Madhouse: Directed by Timothy Hines. Still only 21, she was determined "to do something no girl has done before. [1] [2] Her mother was from a wealthy Pittsburgh family. How many siblings did Mother Teresa have? Bly looked for work to help support her family, but found fewer opportunities than her less-educated brothers. She covered a number of national news stories, including the Woman Suffrage Parade of 1913 in Washington, D.C. Elizabeth often referred to suffrage in her articles, arguing that women were as capable as men in all things. 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 siblings did Lucretia Mott have? 10 Days in a Madhouse (2015) - IMDb New-York Historical Society Library. There were nearly one million entries in the contest. Nellie Bly tied the nuptial knot in 1895 with the millionaire manufacturer Robert Seaman. What was nellie blys favorite color? 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 report on a mental institution from within. National Women's History Museum. She went undercover to expose an insane asylums horrors. Her expos of conditions among the patients, published in the World and later collected in Ten Days in a Mad House (1887), precipitated a grand-jury investigation of the asylum and helped bring about needed improvements in patient care. In 2020, it was awarded to Claudia Irizarry Aponte, of THE CITY. Her trip around the world in 72 days brought her even further fame. Nellie Blys first major work as a reporter was when she did the asylum expose for New York World. Her work Ten Days in a Mad House was a phenomenal success and won her great acclaim. She had circumnavigated the globe, traveling alone for almost the entire journey. Jonathan J Chandler (1848-1903) FamilySearch READ MORE: Inside Nellie Blys 10 Days in a Madhouse. The editor was so impressed with her writing that he gave her a job. Print Page Nellie Bly Nellie Bly, c. 1890. ", Lutes, Jean Marie. She wasn't the first woman of her time to join a newsroom, but she was certainly the most. 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. Unfortunately, Bly did not manage the finances well and fell victim to fraud by employees that led the firm to declare bankruptcy. Chapultepec Castle, Mexico City. 19th Century Journalist Nellie Bly Broke Barriers And Became A - Bust With her courageous and bold act, she cemented her legacy as one of the most notable journalists in history. 1893-1894. 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. She met Jules Verne at his home in France. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. copyright 2003-2023 Homework.Study.com. [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. Blys husband died in 1903, leaving her in control of the massive Iron Clad Manufacturing Company and. 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. The World built up the story by running daily articles and a guessing contest in which whoever came nearest to naming Cochranes time in circling the globe would get a trip to Europe. Between 1889 and 1895 she wrote eleven novels. Her straightforward yet compassionate approach to these issues captivated audiences. Jarena Lee, 1849. How many siblings did Queen Victoria have? 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. Nellie Bly, was one of fourteen siblings growing up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. [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. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! Nellie Bly Wikipedia. [74], Cover of the 1890 board game Round the World with Nellie Bly. The New York World published daily updates on her journey and the entire country followed her story. Elizabeth hoped the massive newspaper industry of New York City would be more open-minded to a female journalist and left Pittsburgh. [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. Shop eBooks and audiobooks at Rakuten Kobo. 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. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. [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. She died of pneumonia on January 27, 1922. Bly died of pneumonia at the age of 57 in 1922. New York, Nellie Bly Press, 2017. She was 57 years old. [8], As a young girl, Elizabeth often was called "Pinky" because she so frequently wore that color. Her article's headline was "Suffragists Are Men's Superiors" and in its text she accurately predicted that it would be 1920 before women in the United States would be given the right to vote. What might she have been able to do that men could not? Elizabeth Cochran (she later added a final e to Cochran) received scant formal schooling. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Nellie Bly, pseudonym of Elizabeth Cochrane, also spelled Cochran, (born May 5, 1864, Cochran's 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. The newspapers editor, George A. Madden, was so impressed with the letter that he published a note asking the Lonely Orphan Girl to reveal her name. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. For 72 days, as she jumped cargo ships, trains, tugboats, and rickshaws, newspaper readers had. on New Yorks ills, such as corruption in the state legislature, unscrupulous employment agencies for domestic workers, and the black market for buying infants. Nellie Bly's stint in the facility wasn't necessarily how she envisioned making a name for herself. Nellie lived on a big farm with her parents Michael Cochran and Mary Kane and her siblings. Bly continued to publish influential pieces of journalism, including interviews with prominent individuals like anarchist activist and writer Emma Goldman and socialist politician and labor organizer Eugene V. Debs. Oportunidades Iguales Para Las Mujeres En El Trabajo y La Educaccion, Womens Strike for Equality, New York, Fifth Avenue, 1970, Eugene Gordon photograph collection, 1970-1990. Nellie Bly Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life & Achievements Nicols Enrquez de Vargas (artist), Portrait of Sor Juana Ins de la Cruz, ca. Bly suffered a tragic loss in 1870, at the age of six, when her father died suddenly. [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). 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. In 1888, inspired by Jules Vernes 1873 novel Around the World in Eighty Days, Bly aimed to turn the fictional tale into reality. In business, her curiosity and independent spirit flourished. How many siblings did Elizabeth Blackwell have? How many siblings did Florence Nightingale have? Those words, describing New York City's most notorious mental institution, were written by journalist Nellie Bly in 1887. How many brothers and sisters did Ella Baker have? 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. The editor chose "Nellie Bly", after the African-American title character in the popular song "Nelly Bly" by Stephen Foster. In her later years, Bly returned to journalism, covering World War I from Europe and continuing to shed light on major issues that impacted women. Ten Days in the Madhouse. world attention to journalist Nellie Bly with his How many siblings did Queen Liliuokalani have? Her trip only took 72 days, which set a world record. Covering Mental Health - Journalism in Action Within her lifetime, Nellie Bly published three non-fiction books (compilations of her newspaper reportage) and one novel in book form. Bernard, Karen. Her fathers death when she was quite young had left the Cochran family with meagre means. 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. The newspapers editor, George Madden, saw potential in her piece and invited her to work for the Dispatch as a reporter. Bly later compiled the articles into a book, being published by Ian L. Munro in New York City in 1887. How many siblings did Amy Carmichael have? 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. All Rights Reserved. Elizabeth marched into the Dispatch offices and introduced herself. How many children did Laura Ingalls Wilder have? Unable to maintain the land or their house, Blys family left Cochran's Mill. While still working as a writer, Bly died from pneumonia on January 27, 1922. Just over seventy-two days after her departure from Hoboken, Bly was back in New York. 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. [43][44], In 2019, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation put out an open call for artists to create a Nellie Bly Memorial art installation on Roosevelt Island. [29][30] During her travels around the world, Bly went through England, France (where she met Jules Verne in Amiens), Brindisi, the Suez Canal, Colombo (in Ceylon), the Straits Settlements of Penang and Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan. A number of positive changes were made after the release of the book. The show ran for 16 performances. Cochrane rode on ships and trains, in rickshaws and sampans, on horses and burros. In 1904, when her husband died, Bly took over the reign of the company. However, not long after beginning her courses there, financial constraints forced Bly to table her hopes for higher education. Just two years after reviving her writing career, on January 27, 1922, Bly died from pneumonia in New York City. Died: January 27, 1922, New York City, NY. The marriage was the second one for both Michael and Bly's mother, Mary Jane, who wed after the deaths of their first spouses. Life Story: Elizabeth Cochrane, aka Nellie Bly (1864-1922), Women & The American Story, New-York Historical Society Library and Museum. She uncovered the abuse of women by male police officers, identified an employment agency that was stealing from immigrants, and exposed corrupt politicians.