Annie Oakley was born in a log cabin on August 13, 1860 in Darke County Ohio. Her real name was Phoebe Ann Moses, and she was the one of eight children born on a family farm. Annie’s father died when she was five years old because he got caught in a severe snowstorm and froze to death.

A few years later, Annie’s mother married again. Annie loved to go for walks through the woods with her stepfather and was always begging to shoot her rifle. But he would laugh and tell her that shooting was a man’s job! One day before Thanksgiving when Annie was seven years old, her father finally let her shoot her rifle. She killed the turkey with one shot in the head! Her family has a Thanksgiving feast! Annie’s mother asked her how she knew when to shoot the rifle and Annie told her that when it felt right, she pulled the trigger. This became the first day of Annie Oakley’s shooting career.

Then Annie’s stepfather became very ill and died. Annie’s mother had very little money and had to go back to work as a nurse. She sent the younger children to a friend’s house while she worked and sent Annie to live with friends who ran an orphanage.

Annie told the storeowner that she only shot the birds in the head so the meat would not get ruined. The storeowner was amazed at how she shot the quail. He told her there was a hotel in town that would pay her a lot of money for the quail, to serve his hotel guests for dinner. Annie made enough money to pay off the loan at the bank. She had helped her family again!

When Annie was fifteen, she received a letter from her older sister asking her to come to Cincinnati for a visit. Her brother-in-law was so amazed at how well she shot her gun. He took her to a Shooting Show where she met Frank Butler. She thought that he was the most handsome man she ever saw and he thought she was beautiful! She entered a shooting contest against Frank Butler and won! A year later they were married.

Annie and Frank did a stage act together. The crowds all loved their shooting tricks. They became very popular. Annie and Frank joined Buffalo Bill’s "Wild West Show" where they met Sitting Bull. Annie and Frank traveled to England, France, Germany and many other countries with this show.

After a very amazing life, Annie Oakley died on November 3, 1926. Frank died a few weeks later.

I think that Annie Oakley was important because she was an expert sharp shooter and she used her special talent to help many people. Annie helped her poor family by shooting quail, rabbits and other animals so they could eat. Annie went to work on a farm so that money could be sent home to help her family. She also shot quail and sold them to a hotel owner in town to help pay off the family’s bank loan on their house. Annie helped Frank Butler make his how become very famous and world known. She also helped Sitting Bull be becoming his adopted daughter. He enjoyed watching her shoot because she reminded him of a daughter who had died.

I think that Annie Oakley made a difference because she was the first woman to ever shoot a gun in a show on stage. The people enjoyed watching her. Annie also loved doing shows to help raise money for children and orphanages. When money was given to Annie for doing these shows, she gave it back to the orphanages. Annie also did shows to raise money to help widows and their families. She donated money from her shows to help over 20 young women go to college and nursing school. Annie even gave free shooting lessons to over 2,000 women, to help them protect themselves!

I do not know what the world would really be like if Annie Oakley had not lived, except for all the lives that she had touched and for all the happiness she brought to so many people!