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Annie Oakley was born Phoebe Ann Moses in Darke County, Ohio. Her parents were subsistence farmers and Quakers.
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At eight years old, the young Phoebe Ann Moses loaded her father's rifle and went squirrel hunting. She was successful, but her mother forbade her from using the gun again.
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At only 10, Susan Moses sent Phoebe Ann Moses to the county poor farm. Initially, she worked for the Edington family, but was later sent to a cruel and abusive family-she referred to them only as the "wolves" in later life.
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At 15, she returned to her mother's home and began shooting game in the nearby woods and selling it to shopkeepers. She was soon able to pay off her mother's mortgage.
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With a $100 prize on the line, Annie participated in a shooting contest against well known marksman Frank Butler. She won, impressing Butler.
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On August 23, 1876 Phoebe Ann Moses married Frank Butler. She went on to tour with him, but was not performing on the tour.
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On May 1, 1882, Butler's partner was too ill to perform. Annie took his place. Now calling herself Annie Oakley, the two began to perform together regularly. Oakley soon became the star, while Butler handled promotions and management.
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In March, 1885, Annie Oakley joined Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show. His champion shooter had quit. She would remain with the show for the next 17 years.
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In August 1903, William Randolph Hearst published a false claim that Annie Oakley had been imprisoned for stealing to pay for cocaine. This was entirely false, but led to more than 50 libel suits. Once suits were settled, she continued to perform in shooting events and competitions.
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Annie Oakley retired in 1913, to a cottage near Cambridge, Maryland
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On November 3, 1926, several years after a car accident that left her disabled, Annie Oakley died in Greenville, Ohio. Frank Butler died only 18 days later.