Women's History Month Part 1

 Nellie Bly

Muckraking stunt journalist, World Traveler

Good afternoon to everyone, once again Samantha has a school report to share with her class and everyone else who will listen. Let's see what she has to say this year.

This year I am reporting on another one of my journalist heroes, Nellie Bly! You may have heard of her, she was the first person to go around the world in less than 80 days, inspired by the Jules Verne novel Around the World in 80 Days. I am going to share a bit more about her with you.

Nellie Bly

Nellie Bly was born Elizabeth Jane Cochran on May 8, 1864 in the village of Cochran's Mills, Pennsylvania. Why, yes, it was named after her family. Her father was a local politician, judge, made money from selling land and also owned a general store and ran a grist mill for grinding grain. The western Pennsylvania village of Pitt's Mills was renamed in his honor. When Elizabeth was born, she was the youngest of 16 children! 12 of her older siblings were half siblings and already grown when she was born. Her nickname was "Pink" or Pinkey because Elizabeth loved and often wore that color. 

Pink Cochran 

You can see I am wearing my pinkest dress today in her honor. (No, I don't own any other pink dresses, why do you ask? It is not a popular color for children). 

Here is the house where Nellie Bly was born, on Crooked Creek. It still stands today in 1906 but it may not exist if you try to find it in the future. 

Then when Pink was 5, she moved with her parents and three older brothers to a much nicer, custom built house in the town of Apollo. They brought their cow, two dogs and a horse when they moved because there was a large yard for the animals. 

Pink Cochran and animal companions

(No silly girls, this isn't a REAL cow. A cow wouldn't fit in the classroom. Please hold your questions until the end, thank you.)

Pink's father became ill and died whenwas only 6 years old without leaving a will. The court decided all surviving children, including Pink and her baby brother, were to get an even share, once their house was sold, with the money held for the little ones until they grew up. Mrs. Cochran's income was only $16 a month. Did you know many families like my friend Nellie's live on much less? Can you imagine any of your mothers making do with only $16 a month for herself and 5 small children? What would she do?

Well, Pink's mother did what anyone else back in our grandmothers' day would do- she married someone else. By 1870, Pink had a new stepfather, one she did not like because he was angry a lot and drank too much alcohol. He threatened and hit Pink's mother so she decided to divorce him. 

At 15, Pink was determined to go to work and help her family. She did not want to have to depend on any man to support her the way her mother did. So then Pink went to college to learn to be a teacher., studying reading, writing, arithmatic and grammar. She changed her name back to her birth name and added an e to the end of her surname, becoming Elizabeth J. Cochrane. Sadly she ran out of money before she finished college. She tried to sue the bank holding her father's money but the law suit went on too long and cost too much.

Elizabeth J. Cochrane at school

Her life changed forever in January 1885 when Elizabeth read a series of newspaper columns in the Pittsburgh Dispatch titled "What Girls Are Good For." The writer said girls were only good for keeping house and having babies!

Google Doodle Nellie Bly

Elizabeth saw red! She wrote a letter to the editor explaining how this is very untrue and how that idea hurt her family. Even though she wrote under the name "Lonely Orphan Girl," and not her real name, the male editor of the paper was impressed enough by Elizabeth's writing to track her down and offer her a job writing about the women's sphere. She urged people to think about what life was like for girls without money, talent or beauty. If they had the same jobs as men their "lives would be brighter, their health better, their pocketbooks fuller." She also wrote about (Samantha lowers her voice to a whisper), divorce! That article was published under her new nickname "Nelly Bly," after an old popular song.

Nellie Bly, journalist at last

Nellie Bly also wrote about the conditions of women working in factories. You all heard my speech about thread factories. Nellie Bly said it all first, before we were born! Unfortunately, poor Nellie was then forced to write about boring stuff like gardening, fashion and society. She didn't like that and left the paper to be a freelance writer.

In early 1886 Nellie and her mother travelled to Mexico. They stayed in Mexico City and took train trips out to the country where Nellie showed off her independent spirit. She also wrote about the bad government which got her into trouble for defying censorship laws. Nellie and her mother had to return home. While in Mexico, Nellie posed for a photo in a fancy dress. 

Nellie Bly in Mexico

The real Nellie Bly in Mexico

 

Back home in the United States, Nellie was able to freely criticize the Mexican government in her articles. She later compiled them into a book. 

Nellie rejoined the Pittsburgh Dispatch when she ran out of stories about Mexico. She was given more women's topics: arts and theater. 

Nellie Bly still thought that was too boring for her so she packed her bags and headed east to New York City! 

Here in New York Nellie Bly couldn't get a job right away! It took awhile and more boring articles on fashion. The male editors were very rude to Nellie. Women were ONLY fit to write about all that silly society stuff and not real news. Nellie published a series of interviews she had with the male editors and her reputation grew. FINALLY, the editor of the New York World liked Nellie's story ideas and hired her. 

New York World Building c. 1900s

Her editor asked Nellie to investigate the conditions of the Women's Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell's Island- from the inside! Nellie rented a room in a women's shelter for a night and pretended to act mad. She acted mad as she was examined by a police officer, a judge and a doctor who sent her to Blackwell's Island. During the next 10 days Nellie got a first hand look at the terrible conditions at the Asylum. The women were not treated well at all. Many became poor and weakened by illness or couldn't convince the doctor they were sane because they did not speak English. 

Illustration of women in the mental hospital 

Nellie vowed to help her "suffering sisters" once she got out. Her editor sent a lawyer to convince the doctors she was sane and should be let out. She then wrote a two part story on her experiences [editor's note: please be advised that this story appeared in 1887 and contains images and language that may be offensive to modern viewers]. It made front page news in October '87! Other newspapers picked up the stories and Nellie's work helped make conditions better for women in asylums!

Throughout '88 Nellie wrote other "stunt journalism" stories exposing all kinds of bad things happening in New York. At last she had a steady job and loyal readers but her best was yet to come! 

I need a drin of lemonade. I shall be right back with the rest of the story!

... Intermission...