Nellie Bly spent 10 days undercover at a psychiatric hospital in New York City to expose how people with mental illnesses were treated.

Photo Illustration by Bianca Alexis; Popperfoto via Getty Images (Nellie Bly); BLM Collection/Alamy Stock Photo (Asylum); Science History Images/Alamy Stock Photo (Dress)

STANDARDS

Common Core: RH.6-8.1, RH.6-8.2, RH.6-8.4, RH.6-8.9, WHST.6-8.4, WHST.6-8.9, RI.6-8.1, RI.6-8.2, RI.6-8.4, RI.6-8.9, W.6-8.4, W.6-8.9, SL.6-8.1

NCSS: Time, Continuity, and Change • Individual Development and Identity • Individuals, Groups, and Institutions • Civic Ideals and Practices

MEDIA LITERACY

“The Best Reporter in America”

Nellie Bly’s reporting about the horrific conditions at a psychiatric hospital in 1887 led to lasting changes—and helped pave the way for modern investigative journalism. 

As You Read, Think About: How can journalists like Nellie Bly help bring awareness to problems?

Nellie Bly’s first day at the psychiatric hospital was unlike anything she could have imagined. After being fed spoiled food, she was led into a bathroom where a worker poured bucket after bucket of ice-cold, dirty water over her head, forcing her to take a bath.

“My teeth chattered and my limbs were goose-fleshed and blue with cold,” Bly later wrote. “I think I experienced some of the sensations of a drowning person as they dragged me, gasping [and] shivering . . . from the tub.”

It was the fall of 1887, and Bly, then 23, had been committed to a women’s mental health facility on Blackwell’s Island in New York City. But Bly didn’t have a mental illness. Instead, she was an undercover journalist who had faked being sick so doctors would commit her. Her goal: to expose the inhumane living conditions at the hospital and the brutal treatment of the patients.

Nellie Bly’s first day at the psychiatric hospital was not like anything she could have imagined. She was fed spoiled food. Then she was led into a bathroom. There, a worker poured bucket after bucket of dirty, ice-cold water over her head, forcing her to take a bath.

“My teeth chattered and my limbs were goose-fleshed and blue with cold,” Bly later wrote. “I think I experienced some of the sensations of a drowning person as they dragged me, gasping [and] shivering . . . from the tub.”

It was the fall of 1887. Bly, then 23, had been put into a women’s mental health facility. It was on Blackwell’s Island in New York City. But Bly did not have a mental illness. Instead, she was an undercover journalist. She had faked being sick so doctors would commit her. Her goal was to expose the inhumane living conditions at the hospital and the brutal treatment of the patients.

Nellie Bly went undercover to expose how people with mental illnesses were treated.

Bly’s reporting about the abuses at Blackwell’s was published later that year in a series of articles in the New York World, then one of the biggest newspapers in the country. It was also turned into a book, Ten Days in a Mad-House (see "Skill Spotlight," below).

Bly’s exposé led to lasting changes at the hospital and better treatment of people with mental illnesses across the country. It also put Bly on the map as a leading investigative journalist. That’s a reporter who spends weeks, months, or even years investigating a topic in an attempt to expose injustices or corruption.

“The most important thing that she did was she gave a voice to voiceless people,” says Rosemary J. Brown, the author of a book about Bly. “She got them in the news.”

Bly’s reporting about the abuses at Blackwell’s was published later that year. It ran in a series of articles in the New York World, then one of the biggest newspapers in the country. It was also turned into a book, Ten Days in a Mad-House (see "Skill Spotlight," below).

Bly’s exposé led to lasting changes at the hospital. It led to better treatment of people with mental illnesses across the country too. It also put Bly on the map as a leading investigative journalist. That is a reporter who spends weeks, months, or even years investigating a topic, trying to expose injustices or corruption.

“The most important thing that she did was she gave a voice to voiceless people,” says Rosemary J. Brown. She is the author of a book about Bly. “She got them in the news.”

Breaking Into the Field

Bly’s career as a journalist began in Pennsylvania in 1885. While browsing a local newspaper, the Pittsburgh Dispatch, Bly came across an op-ed titled “What Girls Are Good For.” The writer had claimed that a working woman was a “monstrosity” and that women should stick to performing household tasks and raising kids.

Such thinking may seem outrageous today, but it wasn’t uncommon in the 19th century. Back then, women played far less of a role in public life than they do now and they weren’t yet allowed to vote nationwide. 

Still, Bly was furious. She wrote a passionate letter to the editor, calling girls “just as smart” as boys and “a great deal quicker to learn.” The editor was so impressed by Bly’s writing that he published her response—and offered her a job.

Bly’s career as a journalist began in Pennsylvania in 1885. Bly was browsing a local newspaper, the Pittsburgh Dispatch. She came across an op-ed titled “What Girls Are Good For.” The writer had claimed that a working woman was a “monstrosity” and that women should stick to performing household tasks and raising kids.

Such thinking may seem outrageous today. But it was not uncommon in the 19th century. Back then, women played far less of a role in public life than they do now. They also were not yet allowed to vote nationwide.

Still, Bly was furious. She wrote a passionate letter to the editor, calling girls “just as smart” as boys and “a great deal quicker to learn.” The editor was so impressed by Bly’s writing that he published her response—and offered her a job.

Museum of the City of New York/Byron Co. Collection/Getty Images

Patients on Blackwell’s Island were often fed spoiled food.

Exposing the Truth

New York World/Undercover Reporting/NYU Libraries

Nellie Bly’s articles in the New York World led to improvements in the way people with mental illnesses were treated.

The young reporter spent the next two years covering hard-hitting topics of the day, such as poverty and women’s rights. Then, in 1887, Bly got a job at the New York World. Her first assignment: to go undercover at the psychiatric hospital on Blackwell’s Island.

At the time, many mental health facilities were overcrowded, underfunded, and rife with abuse. Some former patients and their family members had spoken to reporters, detailing such conditions. But few journalists had been allowed inside to see for themselves. So Bly set out to uncover the truth—and what she experienced firsthand was shocking.

Patients at Blackwell’s were routinely mistreated, both physically and mentally. They were fed rotten food infested with spiders, given tattered clothing, and forced to sit on benches in the cold for hours. Plus, several of the women did not, in fact, have mental illnesses. Some of them were poor or had physical ailments. Others were immigrants who didn’t speak English and had been mistakenly committed. And those who did have mental illnesses often weren’t given proper treatment.

“Nearly all night long I listened to a woman cry about the cold and beg for God to let her die,” Bly recalled. “Another one yelled, ‘Murder!’ at frequent intervals and ‘Police!’ at others until my flesh felt creepy.”

Ten days after she entered the hospital, lawyers from the New York World arranged for Bly’s release. When the newspaper printed her account, the public was horrified. Her reports prompted city officials to conduct an investigation of their own, which led to a nearly $1 million increase in New York City’s budget to care for people living with mental illnesses. That’s the equivalent of nearly $30 million today.

The young reporter spent the next two years covering hard-hitting topics of the day, such as poverty and women’s rights. Then, in 1887, Bly got a job at the New York World. Her first assignment was to go undercover at the psychiatric hospital on Blackwell’s Island.

At the time, many mental health facilities were overcrowded and underfunded, and abuse was common. Some former patients and their family members had spoken to reporters, describing such conditions. But few journalists had been allowed inside to see for themselves. So Bly set out to uncover the truth. What she experienced firsthand was shocking.

Patients at Blackwell’s were routinely mistreated, both physically and mentally. They were fed rotten food infested with spiders. They were given tattered clothing. They were forced to sit on benches in the cold for hours. Plus, several of the women did not, in fact, have mental illnesses. Some of them were poor or had physical ailments. Others were immigrants who did not speak English and had been committed by mistake. And those who did have mental illnesses often were not given proper treatment.

“Nearly all night long I listened to a woman cry about the cold and beg for God to let her die,” Bly recalled. “Another one yelled, ‘Murder!’ at frequent intervals and ‘Police!’ at others until my flesh felt creepy.”

Ten days after she entered the hospital, lawyers from the New York World arranged for Bly’s release. When the newspaper printed her account, the public was horrified. Her reports pushed city officials to do an investigation of their own. That led to a nearly $1 million increase in New York City’s budget to care for people living with mental illnesses. That is the equivalent of nearly $30 million today.

Inspiring the World

Bly’s career didn’t end there, however. In 1889, she again captured the world’s attention by attempting a solo trip around the globe. Inspired by the popular book Around the World in Eighty Days, she set off on a 25,000-mile journey—via ship, train, donkey, and more. Along the way, Bly documented the people and places she encountered, and readers followed her every move. She completed the trip in 72 days, 6 hours, and 11 minutes, briefly holding the world record for such a voyage.  

Upon returning home, Bly went on to cover the women’s suffrage movement. She also reported from the trenches in Europe during World War I (1914-1918).

Bly’s career did not end there, however. In 1889, she again captured the world’s attention by trying a solo trip around the globe. Inspired by the popular book Around the World in Eighty Days, she set off on a 25,000-mile journey. She traveled by ship, train, donkey, and more. Along the way, Bly wrote about the people she met and places she visited. Readers followed her every move. She finished the trip in 72 days, 6 hours, and 11 minutes. She briefly held the world record for such a voyage.

Upon returning home, Bly went on to cover the women’s suffrage movement. She also reported from the trenches in Europe during World War I (1914-1918).

A Lasting Impact

When Bly died of pneumonia in 1922 at the age of 57, the New York Evening Journal ran an obituary calling her “the best reporter in America.” Just last year, a monument honoring her was unveiled in New York City where the psychiatric hospital once stood.

In the century since her death, countless journalists worldwide have followed in Bly’s footsteps, holding powerful people and institutions accountable. Over the years, investigative journalists have exposed everything from unfair labor practices to government corruption. Their stories—big and small, global and local—have become front-page news, with some even altering the course of history. 

“[Bly practically] invented investigative journalism when she went undercover [at Blackwell’s],” says Brown. “She created a new brave journalism that actually has the possibility to—and often does—change the world.”

When Bly died of pneumonia in 1922 at the age of 57, the New York Evening Journal ran an obituary calling her “the best reporter in America.” Just last year, a monument honoring her was unveiled in New York City where the psychiatric hospital once stood.

In the century since her death, countless journalists worldwide have followed in Bly’s footsteps, holding powerful people and institutions accountable. Over the years, investigative journalists have exposed everything from unfair labor practices to government corruption. Their stories—big and small, global and local—have become front-page news. Some have even altered the course of history.

“[Bly practically] invented investigative journalism when she went undercover [at Blackwell’s],” says Brown. “She created a new brave journalism that actually has the possibility to—and often does—change the world.”

SKILL SPOTLIGHT

Analyzing a Primary Source

In the fall of 1887, Nellie Bly spent 10 days undercover at a psychiatric hospital on Blackwell’s Island in New York City. Her reporting, which documented how patients there were mistreated, was published in a series of newspaper articles and later in a book, Ten Days in a Mad-House. Read the excerpt from the book below, then answer the questions.

Ian L. Munro via Wikipedia

Soon after my [arrival] a girl called Urena Little-Page was brought in. . . . She claimed [to be] 18, and would grow very angry if told to the contrary. The nurses were not long in finding this out, and then they teased her.

“Urena,” said Miss Grady [a nurse], “the doctors say that you are 33 instead of 18,” and the other nurses laughed. They kept up this until the simple creature began to yell and cry, saying she wanted to go home and that everybody treated her badly. 

After they had gotten all the amusement out of her they wanted and she was crying, they began to scold and tell her to keep quiet. She grew more hysterical every moment until they pounced upon her and slapped her face and knocked her head in a lively fashion. This made the poor creature cry the more, and so they choked her. Yes, actually choked her.

Then they dragged her out to the closet, and I heard her terrified cries hush into smothered ones. After several hours’ absence she returned to the sitting-room, and I plainly saw the marks of their fingers on her throat for the entire day.

This punishment seemed to awaken their desire to administer more. They returned to the sitting-room and caught hold of an old gray-haired woman. . . . She talked almost continually to herself and to those near her. She never spoke very loud, and at the time I speak of was sitting harmlessly chattering to herself. They grabbed her, and my heart ached as she cried: 

“For God sake, ladies, don’t let them beat me.” . . .

[Miss Grady] caught the woman by her gray hair and dragged her shrieking and pleading from the room. She was also taken to the closet, and her cries grew lower and lower, and then ceased.

The nurses returned to the room and Miss Grady remarked that she had “settled the old fool for awhile.” I told some of the physicians of the occurrence, but they did not pay any attention to it. 


1. How does this excerpt support the claim that mental health facilities were “rife with abuse”?

2. How do the tone and purpose of this excerpt compare with those of other news articles you’ve read?

3. Why do you think Bly’s reporting led to changes in the way people with mental illnesses were treated? Cite details from this excerpt and the article.

Soon after my [arrival] a girl called Urena Little-Page was brought in. . . . She claimed [to be] 18, and would grow very angry if told to the contrary. The nurses were not long in finding this out, and then they teased her.

“Urena,” said Miss Grady [a nurse], “the doctors say that you are 33 instead of 18,” and the other nurses laughed. They kept up this until the simple creature began to yell and cry, saying she wanted to go home and that everybody treated her badly. 

After they had gotten all the amusement out of her they wanted and she was crying, they began to scold and tell her to keep quiet. She grew more hysterical every moment until they pounced upon her and slapped her face and knocked her head in a lively fashion. This made the poor creature cry the more, and so they choked her. Yes, actually choked her.

Then they dragged her out to the closet, and I heard her terrified cries hush into smothered ones. After several hours’ absence she returned to the sitting-room, and I plainly saw the marks of their fingers on her throat for the entire day.

This punishment seemed to awaken their desire to administer more. They returned to the sitting-room and caught hold of an old gray-haired woman. . . . She talked almost continually to herself and to those near her. She never spoke very loud, and at the time I speak of was sitting harmlessly chattering to herself. They grabbed her, and my heart ached as she cried: 

“For God sake, ladies, don’t let them beat me.” . . .

[Miss Grady] caught the woman by her gray hair and dragged her shrieking and pleading from the room. She was also taken to the closet, and her cries grew lower and lower, and then ceased.

The nurses returned to the room and Miss Grady remarked that she had “settled the old fool for awhile.” I told some of the physicians of the occurrence, but they did not pay any attention to it. 


1. How does this excerpt support the claim that mental health facilities were “rife with abuse”?

2. How do the tone and purpose of this excerpt compare with those of other news articles you’ve read?

3. Why do you think Bly’s reporting led to changes in the way people with mental illnesses were treated? Cite details from this excerpt and the article.

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