At the turn of the eighteenth century, women were considered inferior to men. Some women such as Elizabeth Jane Cochran (later known as Nellie Bly) , Lucy Mott, and Susan B. Anthony demanded equal rights for all. They were angered at the number of people who were sexist. Bly ,along with the others, set out to make a change. In her unique position as a journalist, Nellie Bly wanted to write an eye-opening story that would prove herself to be an amazing journalist. Bly had heard about the harsh treatments of patients in the insane asylums. She then formulated a plan to appear insane and therefore, have herself admitted into an asylum. After many weeks of preparation, she mustered the courage to make a scene in a public place. Her successful act of insanity had Bly admitted into the insane asylum on Blackwell’s Island. Overall, Bly was one of the few female reporters and one of the best reporters of her time.
Bly had a challenging childhood. Elizabeth Jane Cochran was the daughter of Michael Cochran Mary Jane (Kennedy) Cochran. Michael was a self-made industrialist who was later appointed a judge (“Nellie Bly”) of Apollo, Pennsylvania where Elizabeth was born and raised (Goodman 3).At a very young age, Elizabeth was nicknamed "Pink" because her mother continuously dressed her in pink clothing(“Nellie Bly”). When Elizabeth was only six, her father died (Goodman 4).Her mother was left to raise Elizabeth, her younger siblings, Catherine May and Harry, and her older brothers, Alex and Charles (383). Mary Jane married a manufacturer named Robert Livingston Seamen (“Nellie Bly”). Since Robert was a drunk and an abuser,five years later Mary Jane did something very unusual for the times: She divorce Robert. which was filing for divorc...
... middle of paper ...
...She helped improve medical conditions for people in the insane asylums. Without Nellie the mentally insane may still be treated very brutally. All people have right that should be honored, even the mentally insane.
Works Cited
Davidson, Sue. Getting the Real Story. Seattle: The Seal Press, 1992.
Goodman, Matthew. Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland’s History-Making
Race Around the World. New York: Ballantine Books, 2013.
Kurp, Josh. “‘ Deranged Masturbations’” Here Are 125 Reasons for Mental Hospital
Conditions in the 1880’s” UPROXX: The Culture of What’s Buzzing. 22 October, 2013.
Ludovici Erin, Kelly. “Treatmeants in Mental Health: A Brief History” Warner Perspectives
Education Blog. 10 October, 2010.
“Nellie Bly.” Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Biography in Context Web.
16 January, 2014.
Nellie was born in Missouri in 1876. “She was the sixth child and the first daughter of James and ‘Lizzie’ Tayloe” (Scheer, 2). Nellie was very private about her childhood and little is known about the family from which she came. The only story of her childhood that she ever shared was of her home being destroyed by a fire (Scheer, 1). In 1902, she became Nellie Tayloe Ross after marrying a successful lawyer and future governor of Wyoming, William Bradford Ross. Nellie was a stay at home mother with their four sons; twins George and James Ambrose, Alfred, who died at the age of ten months, and William Bradford II (Mackey, 26).
...women, Jews, and Negroes were just some of the many things she believed in and worked for. With more equality between the different kinds of people, there can be more peace and happiness in the world without all the discrimination. Her accomplishments brought about increased unity in people, which was what she did to benefit mankind. All of her experiences and determination motivated her to do what she did, and it was a gift to humanity.
paved the way for religious freedom. She was a great leader in the cause for
Elizabeth Blackwell was notably one of the most influential people to both medicine and women’s rights. Although her most famous achievement was being the first woman to graduate from medical school, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell's accomplishments did not end there, she devoted her life to helping others-both in healing and in education, and also with the help of colleagues founded the New York Infirmary for Women and Children. She was one of the most influential women of her time.
...be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. and even though she wasn't there to see it she was the one that led the storm of change to each state watering the tree of equality.
was raised in Souris Valley, Manitoba. Growing up Nellie was a charming young lady and a natural when it came to public speaking. She had a delightful sense of humour and started taking an interest towards women’s suffrage. When Nellie grew up she became a women’s rights activist, legislator and author; best known for her involvement in the Persons Case.
People were starving, homeless, and always in line at the soup kitchen and the citizens of America were hopeless, what could possibly help their lives happier during this sorrowful time? That's right, Shirley Temple Black. She was America's shield from harsh reality, everyone was searching for any money they could find just to go see her, even the president of the united states made a statement! While she was starring in movies like “Little Miss Marker” Shirley didn't even know how much of a help she was to our country. People were happy, for once, while watching Shirley tap dance and pucker her lips. Shirley took the risk of pursuing acting at a young age and going into the harsh world of reality while still a toddler and it paid off. Though she had to remember that the roles she played were just roles and not new additions to her
During her time, women were expected to stay at home and take care of her house and children. Going out and being an active member of society just wasn’t something women did. She opened doors for many women by being a trailblazer in the medical field. She never had kids or a husband because she believed that the soldiers were her children. A family could have hindered her success and ability to travel to battlefields. She wouldn’t have been able to risk her life every day knowing she had a family that needed her. There is still the stigma that women “need” to have children. She didn’t follow that stigma and showed that women don’t have to have children to have a fulfilled life. She filled her life the way she wanted to not how everyone else wanted her
Introduced by Susan B. Anthony at the International Council of Women in 1888, Matilda Josyln Gage began her speech with a brief sketch of her early entry into the suffrage movement: I have frequently been asked what first turned by thoughts towards woman's rights. I think I was born with a hatred of oppression, and, too, in my father's house, I was trained in the anti-slavery ranks, for it was one of the stations on the underground railway, and a home of anti-slavery speakers. Well I remember the wonder with which, when a young girl, I looked upon Abby Kelly, when she spoke of the wrongs of black women and black men. Then I remember, before the Round House in my city of Syracuse was finished, a large and enthusiastic anti-slavery convention was held there, attended by thousands of people who all joined in singing William Lloyd Garrison's song, "I'm an Abolitionist and glory in the Name," and as they rang out that glorious defiance against wrong, it thrilled my very heart, and I feel it echoing to this day. I am indebted to my father for something better than a collegiate education. He taught me to think for myself, and not to accept the word of any man, or society, or human being, but to fully examine for myself. My father was a physician, training me himself, giving me lessons in physiology and anatomy, and while I was a young girl he spoke of my entering Geneva Medical College, whose president was his old professor, and studying for a physician, but that was not to be. I had been married quite a number of years when Elizabeth Blackwell was graduated from that institution, which opened its doors to admit her, closing them, upon her graduation, to women, until since its union with the Syr...
and minds of all of her students. As a teacher, journalist, and an early leader of the Civil
She gave up on becoming a surgeon and began practice at St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London. She returned to New York in 1851. She applied for several positions as a physician and was rejected because of her sex. She opened the New York infirmary and college for women, operated by and for women. She continued to fight for the admission of women to medical schools. During the Civil War she organized a unit of women nurses for field service. “In 1869, Dr. Blackwell set up practice in London and continued her efforts to open the medical profession to women. In 1875 through 1907, she was a professor of gynecology at the London school of medicine for women. In 1895, her articles and autobiographies attracted widespread attention. Women's rights would possibly not be what they are today if she was not overly confident in what she believed in. If not for Elizabeth Blackwell, some women would not have the education they have today. The New York Infirmary college for women would not have opened. Some, people may not stand up for what they believe in if she didn't.
If it was not for Rosa Parks, the United States would still have segregation in the world. She refused to give her seat up on the bus, to help get rights for African Americans. By not giving up her seat to a white man, Rosa Parks has started the cause of the civil rights movement in the United States. This helps all African Americans get rights in America. Rosa Parks got a lot of rewards and had a husband that felt the same way as she did about African Americans. Today, African Americans have rights in the United States, thanks to Rosa
Sometimes trying to conform to society’s expectations becomes extremely overwhelming, especially if you’re a woman. Not until recent years have woman become much more independent and to some extent equalized to men. However going back to the 19th century, women were much more restrained. From the beginning we perceive the narrator as an imaginative woman, in tune with her surroundings. The narrator is undoubtedly a very intellectual woman. Conversely, she lives in a society which views women who demonstrate intellectual potential as eccentric, strange, or as in this situation, ill. She is made to believe by her husband and physician that she has “temporary nervous depression --a slight hysterical tendency” and should restrain herself from any intellectual exercises in order to get well (Gilman 487). The narrator was not allowed to write or in any way freely...
... she addressed many problems of her time in her writings. She was an inspirational person for the feminism movements. In fact, she awoke women’s awareness about their rights and freedom of choice. She was really a great woman.
Florence Nightingale played a large role in establishing modern day nursing. She wanted to help the sick and the elderly as a child and grew up to become a very successful nurse. Nightingale cemented nursing as a respectable profession and went on to train in nursing against her family’s wishes. She contributed politically in the Crimean war tending to wounded soldiers along with dozens of other trained nurses. Florence Nightingale made significant contributions to the nursing profession, most notable are her effects on modern day nursing and political effects on society. The contributions she made were very rebellious for the time, because nursing was considered a poor job and she was from a very wealthy family. Before her, people did not train to become a nurse it was based on trial and error. This was a very flawed plan because people would die from curable illnesses.