"Bly, Nellie (1864-1922), reporter and manufacturer. . She also covered major stories like the march of Jacob Coxeys Army on Washington, D.C. and the Pullman strike in Chicago, both of which were 1894 protests in favor of workers rights. [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. This prompted Elizabeth to write a response under the pseudonym "Lonely Orphan Girl". Elizabeth traveled light, taking only the dress she wore, a cape, and a small travelers bag. She began her career in 1885 in her native Pennsylvania as a reporter for the Pittsburgh Dispatch, to which she had sent an angry letter to the editor in response to an article the newspaper had printed entitled What Girls Are Good For (not much, according to the article). NASA on The Commons, via flickr, Home / Modernizing America, 1889-1920 / Modern Womanhood / Life Story: Nellie Bly. He later became a merchant, postmaster, and associate justice at Cochran's Mills (which was named after him) in Pennsylvania. New-York Historical Society Library. [34] Due to her husband's failing health, she left journalism and succeeded her husband as head of the Iron Clad Manufacturing Co., which made steel containers such as milk cans and boilers. 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. How many siblings did August Wilson have? Corrections? She was 57 years old. Following her superlative success with the Blackwell expose, she continued with her investigative series of work, exposing improper treatment in New York jails and factories, corruption in state legislature and so on. The show ran for 16 performances. 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. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/nellie-bly-9296.php. How many sisters did Martha Washington have? Early in life, she was compelled to speak truth to power when she testified on her mother's behalf against an abusive stepfather. Smithsonian Institute Archives Image # SIA 2010-1509. 2022. How many siblings did Rachel Carson have? Kroeger, Brooke. In it, she explained that New York City invested more money into care for the mentally ill after her articles were published. Nellie Bly had 14 siblings (10 half-siblings; 4 full blooded siblings). The New York World completely supported her ambitious feat. In the piece, writer Erasmus Wilson (known to Dispatch readers as the "Quiet Observer," or Q.O.) [12][11][13] The editor, George Madden, was impressed with her passion and ran an advertisement asking the author to identify herself. When Robert died in 1904, Elizabeth briefly took over as president of his companies. 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. How many siblings did Elizabeth Blackwell have? [66] David Blixt also appeared on a March 10, 2021 episode of the podcast Broads You Should Know as a Nellie Bly expert. Nellie Bly became a star journalist by going undercover as a patient at a New York City mental health asylum in 1887 and exposing its terrible conditions in the New York World. Michael Cochran began his career in the mills outside Pittsburgh, until he was able to earn enough to buy the mill. Ten Days in the Madhouse. Bly continued to produce regular exposs on New Yorks ills, such as corruption in the state legislature, unscrupulous employment agencies for domestic workers, and the black market for buying infants. Between 1889 and 1895, Nellie Bly also penned twelve novels for The New York Family Story Paper. no. How many brothers and sisters did Ella Baker have? How many siblings did Amy Carmichael have? Faced with such dwindling finances, Bly consequently re-entered the newspaper industry. The students will discuss diversity within the economics profession and in the federal government, and the functions of the Federal Reserve System and U. S. monetary policy, by reviewing a historic timeline and analyzing the acts of Janet Yellen. How many siblings did Coretta Scott King have? 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. How many blood siblings did Queen Isabella have? How many siblings did Emmeline Pankhurst have? "Nellie Bly." [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. Nellie Bly Lesson for Kids: Biography & Facts. 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. 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. Full_Name: Elizabeth Jane Cochran. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. She faced rejection after rejection as news editors would not consider hiring a woman. The story of Nellie Bly, a female journalist who willingly got herself admitted to an insane asylum in 1890s New York so she could write about the experience and expose the injustices. [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". This is a short thirty-minute lesson on Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. 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. [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 conjunction with one of her first assignments for the World, she spent several days on Blackwell's Island, posing as a mental patient for an expos. In 1895, Bly married millionaire manufacturer Robert Seaman. The town was founded by her father, Judge Michael Cochran. 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. In 1887, 23-year-old reporter Nellie Bly had herself committed to a New York City asylum to expose the horrific conditions for 19th-century mental patients. Ten Days in a Mad-House is a book by American journalist Nellie Bly. Nellie Bly was born Elizabeth Jane Cochran on May 5, 1864 in Cochran's Mill, Pennsylvania. After her return, she toured the country as a lecturer. Bly went on to patent several inventions related to oil manufacturing, many of which are still used today. [39] Bly was the first woman and one of the first foreigners to visit the war zone between Serbia and Austria. Oil on canvas. After ten days, the asylum released Bly at The World's behest. However, he also misspelled the name, and she became Nellie Bly.. 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. "Pink Cochrane" was a great name, but almost every woman journalist writing in the 19th century used a pseudonym. National Women's History Museum. Just over seventy-two days after her departure from Hoboken, Bly was back in New York. Most of Blys early works revolved around the negative consequences of sexist ideologies and emphasized the importance of women's rights issues. Unable to maintain the land or their house, Bly's family left Cochran's Mill. In 1885, Elizabeth read an article in the Pittsburgh Dispatch that argued a womans place was in the home, to be a helpmate to a man. She strongly disagreed with this opinion and sent an angry letter to the editor anonymously signed Lonely Orphan Girl.. Unfortunately, Bly did not manage the finances well and fell victim to fraud by employees that led the firm to declare bankruptcy. New York: Crown, 1994. 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. Though most of her works were based on throwing light at the appalling condition of women in the society, and the need to uplift them, she is best remembered for her work on an asylum expos in 1887 in which she faked insanity to get into a mental asylum and reported about the horrific condition of the mental patients. http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/bly/madhouse/madhouse.html. Collection of the New-York Historical Society. [48], Bly was the subject of the 1946 Broadway musical Nellie Bly by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen. [38], Bly wrote stories on Europe's Eastern Front during World War I. The story of an investigative journalist who used her career to shed light on the horrors of urban life and break gender stereotypes. MLA Norwood, Arlisha and Mariana Brandman. Chicago- Norwood, Arlisha and Mariana Brandman. While in charge of the company, Bly put her social reforms into action and Iron Clad employees enjoyed several perks unheard of at the time, including fitness gyms, libraries and healthcare. [8], As a young girl, Elizabeth often was called "Pinky" because she so frequently wore that color. 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. 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 does Katherine Johnson have? 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. Gertrude Kasebier (photographer), Zitkala Sa, Sioux Indian and activist, c. 1898. A young journalist looks behind the curtain of a nearby mental hospital, only to uncover the grim and gruesome acts they bestow upon their "patients". She had several siblings and half-siblings. However, Bly became increasingly limited in her work at the Pittsburgh Dispatch after her editors moved her to its women's page, and she aspired to find a more meaningful career. 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. Her honest reporting about the horrors of workers lives attracted negative attention from local factory owners. During her early journalism career, Bly wrote Six Months in Mexico (1888), which describes her time as a foreign correspondent in Mexico in 1885. 1893-1894. In 1880, the family moved to Pittsburgh where Elizabeth supported her single mother by running a boarding house. How many brothers and sisters did Amelia Earhart have? Chicago- Norwood, Arlisha and Mariana Brandman. On train, ship, rickshaw, horse, and donkey . The Historic New Orleans Collection, acc. Nellie was born on May 5, 1864 in a city called Cochran's Millis in the United States. Astronaut Ellen Ochoa, mission specialist, carries her son Wilson Miles-Ochoa following the STS-96 crew return at Ellington Field. How many siblings did Mary Livermore have? How many brothers and sisters did Theodore Roosevelt have? New-York Historical Society Library. 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. How many siblings did Ruth Bader Ginsburg have? Here are 10 facts about Nellie Bly. How many siblings did Eleanor of Aquitaine have? His farm, mill, and the surrounding area became known as "Cochran's Mill" (part of a suburb of Pittsburgh). The first chapters of Eva The Adventuress, based on the real-life trial of Eva Hamilton, appeared in print before Bly returned to New York. [15] "Mad Marriages" was published under the byline of Nellie Bly, rather than "Lonely Orphan Girl". This article was most recently revised and updated by, 8 of Nellie Bly's Most Sensational Stories. Bly later enrolled at the Indiana Normal School, a small college in Indiana, Pennsylvania, where she studied to become a teacher. Into the Madhouse with Nellie Bly: Girl Stunt Reporting in the Late Nineteenth Century America., Nellie Bly PBS: American Experience, Accessed 23 March 23, 2017, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/world/peopleevents/pande01.html. [60], Bly has been featured as the protagonist of novels by David Blixt,[61] Marshall Goldberg,[62] Dan Jorgensen,[63] Carol McCleary,[64] Pearry Reginald Teo, Maya Rodale,[65] and Christine Converse. Michael married twice. [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. How many children did Anne Hutchinson have? 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. However, after only a year and a half, Elizabeth ran out of money and could no longer afford the tuition. Death date: January 27, 1922. Her plan was to graduate and find a position as a teacher. Before becoming an investigative journalist and travelling around the world in 72 days, Nellie Bly had a childhood. [20], In 1893, Bly used the celebrity status she had gained from her asylum reporting skills to schedule an exclusive interview with the allegedly insane serial killer Lizzie Halliday.[25]. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Chapultepec Castle, Mexico City. Her image was used on everything from playing cards to board games. How many siblings did Martha Washington have? 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. In an effort to accurately expose the conditions at the asylum, she pretended to be a mental patient in order to be committed to the facility, .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}where she lived for 10 days. Her time was 72 days 6 hours 11 minutes 14 seconds. Due to the familys financial struggles, she left the school after one term and soon moved with her mother to Pittsburgh, where her two older brothers had settled. 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. Her mother remarried but divorced in 1878 due to abuse. American investigative journalist (18641922), Elizabeth Cochran, "Nellie Bly," aged about 26. The Sibling Society The Sibling Society Reconsidering the Siblings, a Critical Study of Robert Bly's The Sibling Society The Sibling Society Mirabai Iron John Leaping Poetry A Little Book on the Human Shadow Morning Poems The Teeth-Mother Naked at Last Growing Yourself Back Up Talking Into the . In this lesson, students will experience the tragedy of the commons through a team activity in which they compete for resources. Also around this time, she retired from journalism, and by all accounts, the couple enjoyed a happy marriage. 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.