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Annie Oakley Facts & Worksheets

Annie Oakley was an American markswoman who starred in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show

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Annie Oakley, original name Phoebe Ann Mosey, was an American markswoman who starred in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, and was known as “Little Sure Shot”.

See the fact file below for more information on Annie Oakley or alternatively, you can download our 22-page Annie Oakley worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Early Life

  • Annie Oakley was born on August 13, 1860 in Darke County, Ohio to Jacob Moses and Susan Wise Moses. 
  • When she was six years old, her father died from pneumonia, leaving her mother to care for her and her five siblings.
  • She was then sent to work for the Edington family and started hunting to sell the game she shot to local restaurants to help earn money for her family.

God intended women to be outside as well as men, and they do not know what they are missing when they stay cooped up in the house.

-Annie Oakley-
  • When Annie was fifteen, she competed and won against famed marksman Frank E. Butler. Impressed by her skills, the latter courted her and they got married on August 23, 1876.
  • The couple toured around the country and Butler continued to perform as a marksman with Annie as his assistant. 
  • Annie did some shooting and adopted the stage name of Oakley when she got more popular. 

The New Marksman

  • When her husband’s shooting partner fell ill, Annie filled in and later became part of the main cast.
  • On their travels, they met Sitting Bull, the Lakota Sioux leader, who gave her the nickname “Little Sure Shot” after seeing Annie perform in St. Paul, Minnesota. 
  • After touring with the Sells Brothers Circus, the couple joined the Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. 
  • Annie instantly became the star of the show while her husband decided to back down and work as her assistant and manager instead.
  • Her famed skills included shooting glass balls out of the air, through playing cards, and cigarettes out of her husband’s mouth. 
  • Oakley chose to wear simple, modest clothes to better highlight her feats as a markswoman.
  • The couple stayed with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show for sixteen years. The whole cast traveled around the country and abroad including Spain, Italy, and France, and even performed for Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in England.
  • On her travels, Annie showed people around the world that women were capable of handling firearms.
  • She encouraged women to learn how to use pistols for self-protection. Needless to say, Annie was passionate about empowering women and helping children.

The End of a Career

  • When Annie and Frank returned to the United States, they were forced to end the tours after a train wreck in 1901 which injured her back.
  • Her absence caused the press to speculate and ended up reporting that Annie’s absence was due to her being arrested for stealing a man’s trousers to sell them to buy cocaine.

Annie Oakley Facts

Aim for the high mark and you will hit it. No, not the first time, not the second time and maybe not the third. But keep on aiming and keep on shooting for only practice will make you perfect. Finally you’ll hit the bull’s-eye of success.

-Annie Oakley-
  • But since the couple was living in New Jersey at the time and the crime took place in Chicago, it was later discovered that the woman who was arrested was actually Maude Fontanella who used the false name “Any Oakley”.
  • Angered by the press, Annie Oakley pressed charges against all the newspaper companies for ruining her reputation. Although the process took seven years, she won 54 of the 55 cases filed.
  • At the beginning of World War I in 1913, Annie Oakley offered her services to Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson to raise a regiment of women volunteers to fight during the war and teach soldiers how to accurately shoot. However, both were declined.
  • Hoping to rekindle her career, the husband and wife decided to kick start their tour. However, a car accident once again delayed her plans as she went into a year-long recovery period.
  • Soon after, Annie fell sick and died on November 3, 1926. Her husband died just three weeks later.
  • The couple left no children but were known to dote on their nieces and nephews.

Legacy

  • Annie Oakley is best known as the legendary frontwoman for Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.
  • She was an avid advocate for women to learn a sport that was primarily dominated by men.
  • She campaigned for women’s rights to hold paid employment, earn equal pay, participate in sports, and learn self-defense.
  • In 1993, she was inducted in the National Women’s Hall of Fame.

Annie Oakley Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Annie Oakley across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Annie Oakley who starred in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, and was known as “Little Sure Shot”.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Annie Oakley Facts
  • Madam Marksman
  • Women’s Advocate
  • Modern Women
  • Ballad for Annie
  • Annie Stamp
  • Quick Review
  • Taking a Different Path
  • Women and Guns
  • Episode Review
  • Target Locked!

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Link will appear as Annie Oakley Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, October 20, 2021

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.