Her time was 72 days 6 hours 11 minutes 14 seconds. 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). In 1880, her mother moved the family to Pittsburg, and Nellie Bly caught the eye of "The Pittsburg Dispatch" editor George Madden, when she wrote a response to the article "What Girls Are Good For." How might Elizabeths position as a woman have helped her investigative reporting? "Nellie Bly." [11], As a writer, Nellie Bly focused her early work for the Pittsburgh Dispatch on the lives of working women, writing a series of investigative articles on women factory workers. New York, Nellie Bly Press, 2017. She was the daughter of Michael Cochran and Mary Jane Kennedy Cochran (second wife). How many brothers and sisters did Ella Baker have? As one of few women and Asian musicians in the jazz world, Akiyoshi infused Japanese culture, sounds, and instruments into her music. How many siblings did St. Catherine of Siena have? copyright 2003-2023 Homework.Study.com. How many siblings did Queen Victoria have? At 15, Bly enrolled at the State Normal School in Indiana, Pennsylvania. From France she went to Italy and Egypt, through South Asia to Singapore and Japan, then to San Francisco and back to New York. 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. Her first articles, on conditions among working girls in Pittsburgh, slum life, and other similar topics, marked her as a reporter of ingenuity and concern. She moved back to Pittsburgh to help her mother run a boarding house. How many children did Anne Hutchinson have? How many siblings did Coretta Scott King 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. of Congress. Elizabeths mother soon remarried, but quickly divorced her second husband because of abuse, and relocated the family to Pittsburgh. How many siblings did Patricia Bath have? In 2020, it was awarded to Claudia Irizarry Aponte, of THE CITY. The articles were subsequently collected in Six Months in Mexico (1888). Her reporting introduced readers to the horrors of insane asylums and to international travel. (New York, N.Y.), 14 Nov. 1889. When Bly was six, her father died suddenly and without a will. Those words, describing New York City's most notorious mental institution, were written by journalist Nellie Bly in 1887. [45] The winning proposal, The Girl Puzzle by Amanda Matthews, was announced on October 16, 2019. Cochrane rode on ships and trains, in rickshaws and sampans, on horses and burros. She also interviewed and wrote pieces on several prominent figures of the time, including Emma Goldman and Susan B. Anthony. The New York World published daily updates on her journey and the entire country followed her story. She was a pioneer in investigative journalism. 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. Returning to Pittsburgh, she temporarily continued working for The Pittsburgh Dispatch before leaving for New York City in 1887. Her real name was Elizabeth Jane Cochrane; Nellie Bly was her pen name and the name under which she is most well-known. How many brothers and sisters did Amelia Earhart have? 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. Christina Ricci starred as Bly and Transparent's Judith Light played the role of the head nurse. Nicols Enrquez de Vargas (artist), Portrait of Sor Juana Ins de la Cruz, ca. In 188687 she traveled for several months through Mexico, sending back reports on official corruption and the condition of the poor. How many children did Catherine of Aragon have? Seaman died in 1904, and Bly took over his firm, the Iron Clad Manufacturing Company. Unscrupulous employees bilked the firm of hundreds of thousands of dollars, troubles compounded by protracted and costly bankruptcy litigation. [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". 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. [39] Bly was the first woman and one of the first foreigners to visit the war zone between Serbia and Austria. In 1887, Bly stormed into the office of the New York World, one of the leading newspapers in the country. Read free previews and reviews from booklovers. Quick Quiz: Around The World With Nellie Bly. How has Title IX impacted women in education and sports over the last 5 decades? 1750. How many siblings did Victoria Woodhull have? The editor, Joseph Pulitzer, declined that story, but he challenged Bly to investigate one of New Yorks most notorious mental asylums, Blackwells Island. 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. no. How many sisters did Ernest Shackleton have? Madden immediately offered her a job as a columnist. Elizabeth marched into the Dispatch offices and introduced herself. Nellie (her pen name) is the best known of these children, and there is not much information about her 14 siblings. With Caroline Barry, Christopher Lambert, Kelly LeBrock, Julia Chantrey. Nellie Bly tied the nuptial knot in 1895 with the millionaire manufacturer Robert Seaman. "Bly, Nellie (1864-1922), reporter and manufacturer." Does Nellie have any. 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. Her world tour made her a celebrity. National Women's History Museum. Elizabeth too began writing under the pen name Nellie Bly after the Stephen Foster song. . She also prioritized the welfare of the employees, providing health care benefits and recreational facilities. How many siblings did Elizabeth Cady Stanton have? Chicago- Norwood, Arlisha and Mariana Brandman. However, not long after beginning her courses there, financial constraints forced Bly to table her hopes for higher education. 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. Bly suffered a tragic loss in 1870, at the age of six, when her father died suddenly. She also prioritized the welfare of the employees, providing health care benefits and recreational facilities. 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. She wanted to write a story on the immigrant experience in the United States. Baker's career as an actress took place from 1921-1934 and she performed in 13 films. The story of an investigative journalist who used her career to shed light on the horrors of urban life and break gender stereotypes. [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. How many brothers did Susan B. Anthony have? Bly later compiled the articles into a book, being published by Ian L. Munro in New York City in 1887. 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. Early in life, she was compelled to speak truth to power when she testified on her mother's behalf against an abusive stepfather. She started a new trend in reporting that earned her recognition as an undercover reporter. "On the species of Pamphobeteus Pocock, 1901 deposited in the Natural History Museum, London, with redescriptions of type material, the first record of P. grandis Bertani, Fukushima & Silva, 2008 from Peru, and the description of four new species". [16] Cochrane originally intended that her pseudonym be "Nelly Bly", but her editor wrote "Nellie" by mistake, and the error stuck. Elizabeth Cochran (she later added a final e to Cochran) received scant formal schooling. [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 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. Nellie Bly Wikipedia. She recounted her adventures in her final book, Around the World in 72 Days. "Nellie Bly." Nellie lived on a big farm with her parents Michael Cochran and Mary Kane and her siblings. Bly went on to patent several inventions related to oil manufacturing, many of which are still used today. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030193/1889-11-14/ed-3/seq-1/, By: Arlisha R. Norwood, NWHM Fellow; Updated by: Mariana Brandman, NWHM Predoctoral Fellow in Womens History | 2020-2022. 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. [26], Back in reporting, she covered the Woman Suffrage Procession of 1913 for the New York Evening Journal. How many siblings did Mary McLeod Bethune have. In early 2019, Lifetime released a thriller based on Bly's experience as an undercover reporter in a women's mental ward. [11], In 1885, a column in the Pittsburgh Dispatch titled "What Girls Are Good For" stated that girls were principally for birthing children and keeping house. Nellie Bly was born on May 5, 1864 in Cochran Mill, Pennsylvania. 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. 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. Her father, Michael Cochran, owned a lucrative mill and served as associate justice of Armstrong County. How many siblings did Marie Antoinette have? Elizabeth Bisland Wetmore (February 11, 1861 - January 6, 1929) was an American journalist and author, perhaps now best known for her 1889-1890 race around the world against Nellie Bly, which drew worldwide attention. She also became renowned for her investigative and undercover reporting, including posing as a sweatshop worker to expose poor working conditions faced by women. [7] Michael Cochran died in 1870, when Elizabeth was 6. How many siblings did Molly Pitcher have? However, after only a year and a half, Elizabeth ran out of money and could no longer afford the tuition. How many brothers and sisters did Harriet Tubman have? Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. 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. [10] In 1880, Cochrane's mother moved her family to Allegheny City, which was later annexed by the City of Pittsburgh. The column, which appeared in The Dispatch on February 1, 1885, was bylined "Nellie Bly.". With Christina Ricci, Judith Light, Josh Bowman, Anja Savcic. Elizabeth Jane Cochran, a.k.a. Cihak and Zima (photographer), Ida B. Wells-Barnett, ca. [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. Sherwood, D., Gabriel, R., Brescovit, A. D. & Lucas, S. M. (2022). 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. Elizabeth traveled light, taking only the dress she wore, a cape, and a small travelers bag. This is a short thirty-minute lesson on Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. Nellie Bly's stint in the facility wasn't necessarily how she envisioned making a name for herself. At New York, she soon found herself a job at Joseph Pulitzers newspaper, New York World. One of her early assignments was to investigate reports of brutality and neglect at the Women's Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell's Island. How many brothers and sisters did Abigail Adams have? Nellie Bly gained international stardom for her world tour stunt that multiplied her fame. The second-season episode "New York City" featured her undercover exploits in the Blackwell's Island asylum,[58] while the third-season episode "Journalism" retold the story of her race around the world against Elizabeth Bisland.[59]. Abrams is now one of the most prominent African American female politicians in the United States. Popularly known by her pen name Nellie Bly, Elizabeth Cochran was an American journalist and writer who was a pioneer in the field of investigative journalism. 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. episode "Jack's Back". Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Bly, Nellie. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Unknown photographer, A Typical Boomer Family, ca. In it, she explores the country's people and customs, and even stumbles upon marijuana. One of her first undertakings for that paper was to get herself committed to the asylum on Blackwells (now Roosevelt) Island by feigning insanity. How many sisters did Martha Washington have? The New York World completely supported her ambitious feat. 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 was one of 15 children. Engraving. It was no mere armchair observation, because Bly got herself committed . 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. A year later, at 9:40a.m. on November 14, 1889, and with two days' notice,[27][clarification needed] she boarded the Augusta Victoria, a steamer of the Hamburg America Line,[28] and began her 40,070 kilometer journey. Between 1889 and 1895 she wrote eleven novels. Nellie Bly: Daredevil, Reporter, Feminist. Elizabeth knew that she would need to support herself financially. His farm, mill, and the surrounding area became known as "Cochran's Mill" (part of a suburb of Pittsburgh). Born Elizabeth Jane Cochran, Nellie Bly was famed for pioneering new investigative journalism when she worked as an undercover journalist in New York's most notorious mental institution. Her report on the horrifyingly conditions inside the asylum led to numerous reforms in the living condition of the mental patients.