What prompted Thomas Edison to electrocute an elephant?

Key Highlights

The simplest response is that Edison did not directly execute the elephant. Thomas Edison, a towering figure in American history, is often wrongly associated with using electricity to kill an elephant as part of a publicity stunt. While Edison was a controversial figure, it’s likely that he had no hand in the killing, even though his background makes it easy to understand why many attribute the act of cruelty to him. The story of Topsy begins — and ends — in darkness, both literally and metaphorically.

By the late 1880s, much of human civilization was still shrouded in darkness. Gas lamps illuminated the streets, electricity was a rare novelty, light bulbs were a fascination, and engineers were engaged in a fierce battle to establish standards for electricity distribution that would shape the future of humanity.

Two competing standards emerged: alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC). Known as 'The War of the Currents,' each side claimed its method was safer and more efficient. On one side was Edison, advocating for DC, and on the other, George Westinghouse, who staked his bets on AC.

Direct current (DC) works effectively over short distances. In fact, many of your electronics use DC, as indicated on their labels. However, DC loses strength over longer distances, making it difficult for power companies to transmit electricity over vast stretches of power lines. Alternating current (AC), on the other hand, can travel long distances more efficiently and can be converted to DC for home use.

AC, then, emerged victorious in the war, but that didn’t deter Edison from launching an aggressive anti-AC propaganda campaign. He even went as far as to gather stray animals and use AC to electrocute them in front of reporters, aiming to demonstrate that AC was far more dangerous than DC.

As the War of the Currents drew to a close, Edison allegedly made one last desperate attempt to sway public opinion in favor of DC. He hoped that a highly publicized event might convince the masses that DC was safer and superior to AC, halting the spread of alternating current and making DC the future standard.

According to the story, Edison found his victim in Topsy, a violent circus elephant condemned to die. But, as is often the case with such tales, the truth is not quite as straightforward.

Topsy's life came to a tragic end a century ago, extinguished before a carnival audience that gathered to witness an event that became a turning point for both technological advancement and animal cruelty.

From Asia to America

Topsy was captured as a young elephant somewhere in Southeast Asia around 1875 and transported to the U.S. She was put to work for the Forepaugh Circus, which was in fierce competition with Barnum & Bailey for dominance in the elephant show business.

Topsy passed through the hands of several owners and trainers, most of whom employed methods that would be considered abusive by today's standards. Her tail became crooked, a result of the constant beatings she endured. As the years went on, Topsy seemed to grow increasingly short-tempered due to her mistreatment, earning a reputation for aggression.

In 1902, a man named James Fielding Blount allegedly burned Topsy with the glowing end of a cigar. Driven by pain, she struck back, resulting in his death. Despite this, her owners found her too valuable to part with, so they kept her in the show, making her violent past part of her appeal.

Eventually, Topsy ended up at Luna Park in Coney Island, a newly opened amusement park in New York City. She quickly became one of the park's top attractions, gaining a certain celebrity status, though one tainted with notoriety. At one point, she was tasked with hauling building materials around the park, during which numerous reports detailed beatings and other forms of cruelty from her caretakers.

In one particularly absurd incident, a handler named Whitey Ault, intoxicated, rode Topsy through the city streets, scaring both citizens and police. Although the incident was entirely Ault's fault, it resulted in more negative publicity for the elephant, who was already infamous for her unpredictable behavior.

Her owners eventually decided that keeping an elephant known for such erratic behavior was not in their best interest. After negotiating with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), they arranged for a public execution of Topsy.

On Jan. 4, 1903, a team led the 28-year-old Topsy to a ring of 1,500 spectators and wound a noose around her neck. They fed her poisoned treats and then affixed two copper elements, one to her forefoot and other to a hind foot, ensuring that the AC electrical current would flow throughout her entire body. The electricians were, quite notably, from a company bearing Edison's name.

When the men finally flipped the power switch, more than 6,000 volts of electricity coursed through Topsy. She keeled over almost instantly. After 10 seconds, the technicians stopped the current and the noose around her neck was cinched until observers deemed her completely dead.

Collateral Damage

Some historical texts paint Topsy's execution as a battle in the War of the Currents, and that Edison's company was leveraging the stunt to show that AC power was more dangerous than DC. But a simple review of the timeline shows that the debate over AC versus DC had been settled more than 10 years prior to the elephant's death.

Edison had very little to prove with yet another public animal electrocution. Although Edison wasn't present when Topsy was killed, records suggest that electricians from one of his companies were involved in setting up the technical aspects of the execution. However, due to numerous mergers and acquisitions, it's unclear whether Edison himself was connected to these companies.

A film crew from Edison Manufacturing was also present at the event, capturing footage of the incident, and Thomas A. Edison's name appears at the end of the film. This clip is still available online for those who can stomach it. However, Edison’s company made over 1,000 films under his name, and many of these were made without his direct involvement or approval, making it plausible that Edison had no hand in Topsy’s tragic end.

It’s possible that Edison had a hand in orchestrating the killing from a distance, perhaps offering advice on the placement of the copper fittings or the setup of the AC system. He may have been carrying residual anger from the AC vs. DC debate and chose to take it out on an animal. Ultimately, we may never know the full truth of his involvement.

In the end, Edison gained little, if anything, from Topsy’s death. AC technology became the preferred method for electrical transmission worldwide. Later, Edison himself admitted that he regretted not embracing AC at the start of the electrical revolution, as aligning with it would have meant being on the victorious side.

Despite his loss in the battle of the currents, Edison’s legacy remains largely untarnished. He is still regarded as a pivotal figure in history, particularly in the development of the incandescent light bulb. Fortunately for him, his name is not directly linked to the electrocution of the elephant Topsy, which has helped maintain his reputation.