From her sharpshooting to her activism, these Annie Oakley facts reveal how she defied the odds to rule the Wild West.
Throughout the often violent history of the Wild West, few women are remembered as the stars of the show. That is, with the exception of professional sharpshooter Annie Oakley.
Presenting herself as harmless and coy (when she could probably shoot your eye out from miles away), Annie Oakley was “America’s Sweetheart” with a big gun and deadly aim.
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1 of 28The Wild West heroine Annie Oakley was actually born and raised in Ohio and her birth name was Phoebe Ann Moses.Wikimedia Commons 2 of 28"Annie," as her siblings called her, lost her father around the age of six and began helping the family by trapping small animals for food.Wikimedia Commons 3 of 28She fired her first gun at eight as a means to feed her impoverished family. The unlucky victim was a squirrel outside her home.Wikimedia Commons 4 of 28When her mother found out she’d used her father’s gun, she was forbidden to touch it again for eight months.Wikimedia Commons 5 of 28At age nine, Annie Oakley and her older sister were sent to the Darke County Infirmary when her mother became too poor to care for them.Wikimedia Commons 6 of 28After about a year in the infirmary, she went to be the live-in help for a farm family with a baby. They treated her horribly; later she’d refer to them only as “the wolves.“Wikimedia Commons 7 of 28She ran away after staying there for two years, finally making it to a train station where a man took pity on her, buying her some food and a ticket home.Wikimedia Commons 8 of 28After returning home, she paid off her mother’s mortgage by selling game she’d shot to grocery stores for cash.Wikimedia Commons 9 of 28At age 15, Annie Oakley entered a shooting match against professional sharpshooter Frank Butler. She won, and Frank, impressed instead of angry, courted her and they later married.Wikimedia Commons 10 of 28Oakley replaced Frank’s ailing partner in his shooting act, and soon she was the star of the show.
Pictured: Oakley demonstrates her famous feat in which she shoots at a target behind her back with the aid of a small hand mirror.Bettmann/Getty Images 11 of 28"She reportedly once shot the ashes off the cigarette of Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm II — while he was holding it. She later remarked that, had she missed, she could have prevented World War I.“Library of Congress 12 of 28Her extraordinary marksmanship allowed her to hit playing cards and dimes thrown into the sky.Wikimedia Commons 13 of 28Before joining Buffalo Bill Cody’s show, Oakley and her husband were with the Sells Brothers circus.Wikimedia Commons 14 of 28She made her own costumes, as she learned to sew at the infirmary as a child.Wikimedia Commons 15 of 28A member of the Quaker religion, she made her costumes very conservative and refused to wear makeup.Wikimedia Commons 16 of 28Oakley’s career flourished nationally in 1887 when she performed with Buffalo Bill Cody at the American Exposition in London. Wikimedia Commons 17 of 28Annie Oakley scorned the use of any trickery in shooting shows, instead relying only on her skill.Wikimedia Commons 18 of 28In 1884, Oakley met legendary Native American warrior Sitting Bull, who adopted her as a member of the Hunkpapa Lakota and gave her the nickname “Watanya Cicilla,” or “Little Sure Shot.“American Stock/Getty Images 19 of 28In London, Oakley met Queen Victoria, who famously called her a “very clever little girl.“Wikimedia Commons 20 of 28She did not want to appear dangerous in any way; this is one of the very few photos suggesting she killed live animals.Photo12/UIG via Getty Images 21 of 28Oakley competed at Wimbledon — before the London suburb hosted the famed tennis tournament. She was part of the rifle competition at Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee there in 1887.Wikimedia Commons 22 of 28Her diminutive stature helped her stand out in the world of sharpshooting — she was only 5 feet tall.Bettmann/Getty Images 23 of 28She sued newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst for libel, forcing him to pay her $27,000. Hearst had printed in the Chicago papers that a broke Oakley stole a pair of men’s pants as a means to buy cocaine.Wikimedia Commons 24 of 28She was (rather obviously) a proponent of women’s rights to bear arms and to defend their countries via military service.ullstein bild/ullstein bild via Getty Images 25 of 28She tried to convince the government to let her assemble a team of women sharpshooters to fight in World War I, but no public figure would allow it.Bettmann/Getty Images
26 of 28Annie Oakley helped fund the care and education of orphaned children in the United States. Wikimedia Commons 27 of 28After Annie Oakley died in 1926 from pernicious anemia at age 66, Frank refused to eat and died 18 days later.Library of Congress 28 of 28Like this gallery?Share it:
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27 Annie Oakley Facts That Prove She Was The Wild West’s Biggest Badass View Gallery
Born Phoebe Ann Mosey to Quakers in rural Ohio on August 13, 1860, Oakley endured a rough childhood in which her father died of pneumonia, leaving her mother then unable to support the children financially. Oakley was then sent to the Darke County Infirmary for the poor before being shipped to an abusive family she later referred to as “the wolves.”
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And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts:
63 Wild West Mugshots That Prove They Don’t Make Criminals Like They Used To
Meet Annie Jump Cannon, Celestial Badass
33 Fun History Facts That Prove The Past Is Even More Fascinating Than You Realized
1 of 28The Wild West heroine Annie Oakley was actually born and raised in Ohio and her birth name was Phoebe Ann Moses.Wikimedia Commons 2 of 28"Annie,” as her siblings called her, lost her father around the age of six and began helping the family by trapping small animals for food.Wikimedia Commons 3 of 28She fired her first gun at eight as a means to feed her impoverished family. The unlucky victim was a squirrel outside her home.Wikimedia Commons 4 of 28When her mother found out she’d used her father’s gun, she was forbidden to touch it again for eight months.Wikimedia Commons 5 of 28At age nine, Annie Oakley and her older sister were sent to the Darke County Infirmary when her mother became too poor to care for them.Wikimedia Commons 6 of 28After about a year in the infirmary, she went to be the live-in help for a farm family with a baby. They treated her horribly; later she’d refer to them only as “the wolves.“Wikimedia Commons 7 of 28She ran away after staying there for two years, finally making it to a train station where a man took pity on her, buying her some food and a ticket home.Wikimedia Commons 8 of 28After returning home, she paid off her mother’s mortgage by selling game she’d shot to grocery stores for cash.Wikimedia Commons 9 of 28At age 15, Annie Oakley entered a shooting match against professional sharpshooter Frank Butler. She won, and Frank, impressed instead of angry, courted her and they later married.Wikimedia Commons 10 of 28Oakley replaced Frank’s ailing partner in his shooting act, and soon she was the star of the show.
Pictured: Oakley demonstrates her famous feat in which she shoots at a target behind her back with the aid of a small hand mirror.Bettmann/Getty Images 11 of 28"She reportedly once shot the ashes off the cigarette of Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm II — while he was holding it. She later remarked that, had she missed, she could have prevented World War I.“Library of Congress 12 of 28Her extraordinary marksmanship allowed her to hit playing cards and dimes thrown into the sky.Wikimedia Commons 13 of 28Before joining Buffalo Bill Cody’s show, Oakley and her husband were with the Sells Brothers circus.Wikimedia Commons 14 of 28She made her own costumes, as she learned to sew at the infirmary as a child.Wikimedia Commons 15 of 28A member of the Quaker religion, she made her costumes very conservative and refused to wear makeup.Wikimedia Commons 16 of 28Oakley’s career flourished nationally in 1887 when she performed with Buffalo Bill Cody at the American Exposition in London. Wikimedia Commons 17 of 28Annie Oakley scorned the use of any trickery in shooting shows, instead relying only on her skill.Wikimedia Commons 18 of 28In 1884, Oakley met legendary Native American warrior Sitting Bull, who adopted her as a member of the Hunkpapa Lakota and gave her the nickname “Watanya Cicilla,” or “Little Sure Shot.“American Stock/Getty Images 19 of 28In London, Oakley met Queen Victoria, who famously called her a “very clever little girl.“Wikimedia Commons 20 of 28She did not want to appear dangerous in any way; this is one of the very few photos suggesting she killed live animals.Photo12/UIG via Getty Images 21 of 28Oakley competed at Wimbledon — before the London suburb hosted the famed tennis tournament. She was part of the rifle competition at Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee there in 1887.Wikimedia Commons 22 of 28Her diminutive stature helped her stand out in the world of sharpshooting — she was only 5 feet tall.Bettmann/Getty Images 23 of 28She sued newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst for libel, forcing him to pay her $27,000. Hearst had printed in the Chicago papers that a broke Oakley stole a pair of men’s pants as a means to buy cocaine.Wikimedia Commons 24 of 28She was (rather obviously) a proponent of women’s rights to bear arms and to defend their countries via military service.ullstein bild/ullstein bild via Getty Images 25 of 28She tried to convince the government to let her assemble a team of women sharpshooters to fight in World War I, but no public figure would allow it.Bettmann/Getty Images
26 of 28Annie Oakley helped fund the care and education of orphaned children in the United States. Wikimedia Commons 27 of 28After Annie Oakley died in 1926 from pernicious anemia at age 66, Frank refused to eat and died 18 days later.Library of Congress 28 of 28Like this gallery?Share it:
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Like this gallery?Share it:
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And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts:
63 Wild West Mugshots That Prove They Don’t Make Criminals Like They Used To
Meet Annie Jump Cannon, Celestial Badass
33 Fun History Facts That Prove The Past Is Even More Fascinating Than You Realized
1 of 28The Wild West heroine Annie Oakley was actually born and raised in Ohio and her birth name was Phoebe Ann Moses.Wikimedia Commons 2 of 28"Annie,” as her siblings called her, lost her father around the age of six and began helping the family by trapping small animals for food.Wikimedia Commons 3 of 28She fired her first gun at eight as a means to feed her impoverished family. The unlucky victim was a squirrel outside her home.Wikimedia Commons 4 of 28When her mother found out she’d used her father’s gun, she was forbidden to touch it again for eight months.Wikimedia Commons 5 of 28At age nine, Annie Oakley and her older sister were sent to the Darke County Infirmary when her mother became too poor to care for them.Wikimedia Commons 6 of 28After about a year in the infirmary, she went to be the live-in help for a farm family with a baby. They treated her horribly; later she’d refer to them only as “the wolves.“Wikimedia Commons 7 of 28She ran away after staying there for two years, finally making it to a train station where a man took pity on her, buying her some food and a ticket home.Wikimedia Commons 8 of 28After returning home, she paid off her mother’s mortgage by selling game she’d shot to grocery stores for cash.Wikimedia Commons 9 of 28At age 15, Annie Oakley entered a shooting match against professional sharpshooter Frank Butler. She won, and Frank, impressed instead of angry, courted her and they later married.Wikimedia Commons 10 of 28Oakley replaced Frank’s ailing partner in his shooting act, and soon she was the star of the show.
Pictured: Oakley demonstrates her famous feat in which she shoots at a target behind her back with the aid of a small hand mirror.Bettmann/Getty Images 11 of 28"She reportedly once shot the ashes off the cigarette of Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm II — while he was holding it. She later remarked that, had she missed, she could have prevented World War I.“Library of Congress 12 of 28Her extraordinary marksmanship allowed her to hit playing cards and dimes thrown into the sky.Wikimedia Commons 13 of 28Before joining Buffalo Bill Cody’s show, Oakley and her husband were with the Sells Brothers circus.Wikimedia Commons 14 of 28She made her own costumes, as she learned to sew at the infirmary as a child.Wikimedia Commons 15 of 28A member of the Quaker religion, she made her costumes very conservative and refused to wear makeup.Wikimedia Commons 16 of 28Oakley’s career flourished nationally in 1887 when she performed with Buffalo Bill Cody at the American Exposition in London. Wikimedia Commons 17 of 28Annie Oakley scorned the use of any trickery in shooting shows, instead relying only on her skill.Wikimedia Commons 18 of 28In 1884, Oakley met legendary Native American warrior Sitting Bull, who adopted her as a member of the Hunkpapa Lakota and gave her the nickname “Watanya Cicilla,” or “Little Sure Shot.“American Stock/Getty Images 19 of 28In London, Oakley met Queen Victoria, who famously called her a “very clever little girl.“Wikimedia Commons 20 of 28She did not want to appear dangerous in any way; this is one of the very few photos suggesting she killed live animals.Photo12/UIG via Getty Images 21 of 28Oakley competed at Wimbledon — before the London suburb hosted the famed tennis tournament. She was part of the rifle competition at Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee there in 1887.Wikimedia Commons 22 of 28Her diminutive stature helped her stand out in the world of sharpshooting — she was only 5 feet tall.Bettmann/Getty Images 23 of 28She sued newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst for libel, forcing him to pay her $27,000. Hearst had printed in the Chicago papers that a broke Oakley stole a pair of men’s pants as a means to buy cocaine.Wikimedia Commons 24 of 28She was (rather obviously) a proponent of women’s rights to bear arms and to defend their countries via military service.ullstein bild/ullstein bild via Getty Images 25 of 28She tried to convince the government to let her assemble a team of women sharpshooters to fight in World War I, but no public figure would allow it.Bettmann/Getty Images
26 of 28Annie Oakley helped fund the care and education of orphaned children in the United States. Wikimedia Commons 27 of 28After Annie Oakley died in 1926 from pernicious anemia at age 66, Frank refused to eat and died 18 days later.Library of Congress 28 of 28Like this gallery?Share it:
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Like this gallery?Share it:
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And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts:
63 Wild West Mugshots That Prove They Don’t Make Criminals Like They Used To
Meet Annie Jump Cannon, Celestial Badass
33 Fun History Facts That Prove The Past Is Even More Fascinating Than You Realized
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1 of 28The Wild West heroine Annie Oakley was actually born and raised in Ohio and her birth name was Phoebe Ann Moses.Wikimedia Commons 2 of 28"Annie,” as her siblings called her, lost her father around the age of six and began helping the family by trapping small animals for food.Wikimedia Commons 3 of 28She fired her first gun at eight as a means to feed her impoverished family. The unlucky victim was a squirrel outside her home.Wikimedia Commons 4 of 28When her mother found out she’d used her father’s gun, she was forbidden to touch it again for eight months.Wikimedia Commons 5 of 28At age nine, Annie Oakley and her older sister were sent to the Darke County Infirmary when her mother became too poor to care for them.Wikimedia Commons 6 of 28After about a year in the infirmary, she went to be the live-in help for a farm family with a baby. They treated her horribly; later she’d refer to them only as “the wolves.“Wikimedia Commons 7 of 28She ran away after staying there for two years, finally making it to a train station where a man took pity on her, buying her some food and a ticket home.Wikimedia Commons 8 of 28After returning home, she paid off her mother’s mortgage by selling game she’d shot to grocery stores for cash.Wikimedia Commons 9 of 28At age 15, Annie Oakley entered a shooting match against professional sharpshooter Frank Butler. She won, and Frank, impressed instead of angry, courted her and they later married.Wikimedia Commons 10 of 28Oakley replaced Frank’s ailing partner in his shooting act, and soon she was the star of the show.
Pictured: Oakley demonstrates her famous feat in which she shoots at a target behind her back with the aid of a small hand mirror.Bettmann/Getty Images 11 of 28"She reportedly once shot the ashes off the cigarette of Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm II — while he was holding it. She later remarked that, had she missed, she could have prevented World War I.“Library of Congress 12 of 28Her extraordinary marksmanship allowed her to hit playing cards and dimes thrown into the sky.Wikimedia Commons 13 of 28Before joining Buffalo Bill Cody’s show, Oakley and her husband were with the Sells Brothers circus.Wikimedia Commons 14 of 28She made her own costumes, as she learned to sew at the infirmary as a child.Wikimedia Commons 15 of 28A member of the Quaker religion, she made her costumes very conservative and refused to wear makeup.Wikimedia Commons 16 of 28Oakley’s career flourished nationally in 1887 when she performed with Buffalo Bill Cody at the American Exposition in London. Wikimedia Commons 17 of 28Annie Oakley scorned the use of any trickery in shooting shows, instead relying only on her skill.Wikimedia Commons 18 of 28In 1884, Oakley met legendary Native American warrior Sitting Bull, who adopted her as a member of the Hunkpapa Lakota and gave her the nickname “Watanya Cicilla,” or “Little Sure Shot.“American Stock/Getty Images 19 of 28In London, Oakley met Queen Victoria, who famously called her a “very clever little girl.“Wikimedia Commons 20 of 28She did not want to appear dangerous in any way; this is one of the very few photos suggesting she killed live animals.Photo12/UIG via Getty Images 21 of 28Oakley competed at Wimbledon — before the London suburb hosted the famed tennis tournament. She was part of the rifle competition at Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee there in 1887.Wikimedia Commons 22 of 28Her diminutive stature helped her stand out in the world of sharpshooting — she was only 5 feet tall.Bettmann/Getty Images 23 of 28She sued newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst for libel, forcing him to pay her $27,000. Hearst had printed in the Chicago papers that a broke Oakley stole a pair of men’s pants as a means to buy cocaine.Wikimedia Commons 24 of 28She was (rather obviously) a proponent of women’s rights to bear arms and to defend their countries via military service.ullstein bild/ullstein bild via Getty Images 25 of 28She tried to convince the government to let her assemble a team of women sharpshooters to fight in World War I, but no public figure would allow it.Bettmann/Getty Images
26 of 28Annie Oakley helped fund the care and education of orphaned children in the United States. Wikimedia Commons 27 of 28After Annie Oakley died in 1926 from pernicious anemia at age 66, Frank refused to eat and died 18 days later.Library of Congress 28 of 28Like this gallery?Share it:
Share
1 of 28The Wild West heroine Annie Oakley was actually born and raised in Ohio and her birth name was Phoebe Ann Moses.Wikimedia Commons
2 of 28"Annie,” as her siblings called her, lost her father around the age of six and began helping the family by trapping small animals for food.Wikimedia Commons
3 of 28She fired her first gun at eight as a means to feed her impoverished family. The unlucky victim was a squirrel outside her home.Wikimedia Commons
4 of 28When her mother found out she’d used her father’s gun, she was forbidden to touch it again for eight months.Wikimedia Commons
5 of 28At age nine, Annie Oakley and her older sister were sent to the Darke County Infirmary when her mother became too poor to care for them.Wikimedia Commons
6 of 28After about a year in the infirmary, she went to be the live-in help for a farm family with a baby. They treated her horribly; later she’d refer to them only as “the wolves.“Wikimedia Commons
7 of 28She ran away after staying there for two years, finally making it to a train station where a man took pity on her, buying her some food and a ticket home.Wikimedia Commons
8 of 28After returning home, she paid off her mother’s mortgage by selling game she’d shot to grocery stores for cash.Wikimedia Commons
9 of 28At age 15, Annie Oakley entered a shooting match against professional sharpshooter Frank Butler. She won, and Frank, impressed instead of angry, courted her and they later married.Wikimedia Commons
10 of 28Oakley replaced Frank’s ailing partner in his shooting act, and soon she was the star of the show.
Pictured: Oakley demonstrates her famous feat in which she shoots at a target behind her back with the aid of a small hand mirror.Bettmann/Getty Images
11 of 28"She reportedly once shot the ashes off the cigarette of Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm II — while he was holding it. She later remarked that, had she missed, she could have prevented World War I.“Library of Congress
12 of 28Her extraordinary marksmanship allowed her to hit playing cards and dimes thrown into the sky.Wikimedia Commons
13 of 28Before joining Buffalo Bill Cody’s show, Oakley and her husband were with the Sells Brothers circus.Wikimedia Commons
14 of 28She made her own costumes, as she learned to sew at the infirmary as a child.Wikimedia Commons
15 of 28A member of the Quaker religion, she made her costumes very conservative and refused to wear makeup.Wikimedia Commons
16 of 28Oakley’s career flourished nationally in 1887 when she performed with Buffalo Bill Cody at the American Exposition in London. Wikimedia Commons
17 of 28Annie Oakley scorned the use of any trickery in shooting shows, instead relying only on her skill.Wikimedia Commons
18 of 28In 1884, Oakley met legendary Native American warrior Sitting Bull, who adopted her as a member of the Hunkpapa Lakota and gave her the nickname “Watanya Cicilla,” or “Little Sure Shot.“American Stock/Getty Images
19 of 28In London, Oakley met Queen Victoria, who famously called her a “very clever little girl.“Wikimedia Commons
20 of 28She did not want to appear dangerous in any way; this is one of the very few photos suggesting she killed live animals.Photo12/UIG via Getty Images
21 of 28Oakley competed at Wimbledon — before the London suburb hosted the famed tennis tournament. She was part of the rifle competition at Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee there in 1887.Wikimedia Commons
22 of 28Her diminutive stature helped her stand out in the world of sharpshooting — she was only 5 feet tall.Bettmann/Getty Images
23 of 28She sued newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst for libel, forcing him to pay her $27,000. Hearst had printed in the Chicago papers that a broke Oakley stole a pair of men’s pants as a means to buy cocaine.Wikimedia Commons
24 of 28She was (rather obviously) a proponent of women’s rights to bear arms and to defend their countries via military service.ullstein bild/ullstein bild via Getty Images
25 of 28She tried to convince the government to let her assemble a team of women sharpshooters to fight in World War I, but no public figure would allow it.Bettmann/Getty Images
26 of 28Annie Oakley helped fund the care and education of orphaned children in the United States. Wikimedia Commons
27 of 28After Annie Oakley died in 1926 from pernicious anemia at age 66, Frank refused to eat and died 18 days later.Library of Congress
28 of 28Like this gallery?Share it:
Share
27 Annie Oakley Facts That Prove She Was The Wild West’s Biggest Badass View Gallery
27 Annie Oakley Facts That Prove She Was The Wild West’s Biggest Badass View Gallery
27 Annie Oakley Facts That Prove She Was The Wild West’s Biggest Badass View Gallery
27 Annie Oakley Facts That Prove She Was The Wild West’s Biggest Badass View Gallery
27 Annie Oakley Facts That Prove She Was The Wild West’s Biggest Badass
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The family treated Oakley as if she were a slave and even reportedly locked her out of the house during snowstorms. However, at the age of 12, she ran away and landed back in the infirmary for a short time before reuniting with her mother.
All the while, Annie Oakley’s rough childhood put her in a position to fend for herself and learn how to trap and, moreover, how to shoot. Oakley’s reputation for astounding feats of marksmanship soon spread throughout the region and she was able to earn money killing game. She even claimed she was able to earn enough to pay off the family farm.
Soon, Oakley’s reputation attracted the attention of traveling sharpshooting acts. On Thanksviging Day 1875 (although some dispute that date), Oakley bested famous marksman Frank Butler in a shooting match, cementing her lofty status.
Butler and Oakley married not long after and eventually joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show (alongside the likes of Lakota leader Sitting Bull). Oakley, as she was now calling herself, then saw her shooting career grow to even greater heights, and the rest is history (and included in the gallery above).
All in all, Oakley (a.k.a. “Little Sure Shot”) parlayed her gift for handling and firing guns into a career while serving as an inspiration for women who scoffed (either inwardly or outwardly) at traditional pioneer roles. Today, Annie Oakley’s legacy as a cultural icon lives on, with films, books, and even a well-known Broadway musical all dedicated to the huge impression that she left on United States history.
Next, see rare footage of Annie Oakley in action thanks to this Edison Manufacturing Co. film from 1894:
After this look at Annie Oakley, check out some captivating photos of life in the Wild West. Then, read up on the era’s largely-forgotten black cowboys.
