Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman, better known as Nellie Bly, was an American investigative journalist famous in the 1880’s for exposing how women were treated. She sought out stories that inspired her, clearly demonstrating that it was her passion to show the world what she was made of.
Her big break
At the ripe age of 18, Nellie stumbled upon an article in the Pittsburg Dispatch discussing women’s place in society. This ‘place’ that women were confined to was restricted to domestic duties. Nellie fought back with a fiery response that not only put the writer of the article in his place but also impressed the editor. He eventually offered her a job, with the condition of using a pen name - an obligation for female newspaper writers at that time. That’s where she got her famous nickname, Nellie Bly, after a character from the popular song “Nelly Bly” by Stephen Foster.
The asylum exposé
After writing a series of investigative articles about women in the workplace, the newspaper received multiple complaints. This prompted them to reassign Nellie to cover fashion and gardening stories - very typical for female journalists at that time. She grew frustrated and eventually left the Pittsburgh Dispatch only to find herself working for the New York World. She gladly took an undercover assignment to infiltrate an insane asylum to investigate claims of neglect. Faking her insanity, she was promptly committed and experienced first-hand the terrible conditions she and others were subjected to. After ten days, the New York World demanded her release and she exposed the asylum in a riveting book that forced them to reassess their ways.
A trip of a lifetime
Bly’s fame grew when she decided to travel around the world to break the fictional record from the book Around the World in 80 Days, by Jules Verne. She wanted to prove that it can be done and got the green-light from her employer. She traveled all throughout Europe, North Africa, and Asia, returning home with a new world record of traveling the world in 72 days.
Nellie Bly accomplished a lot in her life. In many ways, she was an adventurer seeking new ways to expose the truth. If you’re interested in what Bly found intriguing in Around the World in 80 Days, you can find it in our online library, www.adventee.com, along with other great adventure books.
No comments:
Post a Comment