Much-loved Oprah Winfrey has lived the American dream. She began life in abject poverty and is now a billionaire a couple of times over. How did she do it? She is smart, really smart, a natural-born talker, and a go-getter.

She was born in Mississippi to an unmarried teenage mother, Vernita Lee, in 1954. Her mother worked as a house cleaner if and when she could find a job. Her father Vernon Winfrey didn't really think it was necessary for him to hang around and so he moved to Nashville, Tennessee to open a barbershop.

Oprah was shuffled between her mother Vernita who had moved to Milwaukee and her father Vernon in Nashville.

And, from the age of 9-years-old, she suffered sexual abuse.

But Oprah Winfrey had a dream. Her dream was that she would be rich and famous one day.

Let's have a look at Oprah Winfrey's childhood down on the farm and in the big city. It's the key to who she is today.

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Early Days

When Vernita Lee gave birth to Oprah in 1954, she was only 18-years-old. Oprah's dad Vernon was all of 20. He soon decamped to Nashville and achieved some success as a barber. A year or so after Oprah was born, Vernita, hoping she could get more work there, moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Oprah stayed in Mississippi, living on a farm with her grandmother Hattie Mae Lee. Hattie Mae was so poor, that Oprah was forced to wear dresses made of potato sacks. Kids would make fun of her. She has said her only friends were the animals on the farm.

Hattie Mae encouraged her to read, in fact teaching her to read by the time she was 3-years-old.

Oprah read the Bible and from a very early age was nicknamed "The Preacher" by the congregation at her church. Why? Well, even before she started school, Oprah, ever the consummate performer, was "preaching" to the church members.

When she started school at age 5, she skipped kindergarten and went straight to first grade. Why? Her reading ability. Then, Hattie Mae got sick and when she was 6 Oprah was shipped off to live with her mom Vernita in Milwaukee. Sad to say, Vernita was relying on welfare and low-paying cleaning jobs to get by. And, to make matters worse, she had had another daughter Patricia.

Nashville Here I Come

It was clear Vernita couldn't cope with two kids and so the 7-year-old Oprah was once again on the move. This time she was sent to live with her father Vernon and his wife Zelma in Nashville. The childless couple was thrilled to have her living with them. She even had her own bedroom. It was a wonderful time for the beleaguered little girl. She was so smart, she skipped 2nd grade and went straight to the third grade. And Vernon and Zelma supported her, taking her to the library and praising her accomplishments. Of course, they went to church often and Oprah revived her preaching act. Vernon took Oprah to visit her mom the summer after she finished third grade. By that time, Vernita had had another baby, a son called Jeffrey. And Oprah went from having her own room to sharing with Patricia and Jeffrey. At the end of the summer when Vernon came to take Oprah back to Nashville, the young girl insisted she wanted to stay with her mom. Vernon and Zelma were beside themselves. But Oprah was determined.

Abuse And Yet Another New School

When she was all of 9-years-old Oprah was raped by one of her Milwaukee cousins. Afterward, he took her out for ice cream and told her it was their little secret. Over the next few years, she also suffered more abuse from a so-called "family friend", as well as her uncle. She kept quiet about it for years and years. But things got better. In 1968 she lucked out when one of her teachers in her downtown Milwaukee middle school, helped her to transfer to the prestigious all-white suburban Nicolet High School. That must have been tough on Oprah. Not a bit of it. She has said that by that time it was "hip" to know a Black person and that she was totally popular. But the abuse thing had messed up her head big time. She started acting out, skipping school, even stealing money from her mother. So, guess what? It was back to Nashville. But Oprah had gotten into boys by that time and when she was only 14 became pregnant. Somehow she managed to hide her pregnancy from Vernon and Zelma, only telling them about it when she went into early labor. The child, a baby boy, was dead two weeks later. RELATED: 5 Of Oprah's Closest Friends (& 5 Celebs She Avoids)

Oprah Cleans Up Her Act

At 16, Oprah read inspirational Black author Maya Angelou's autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Oprah has said, "I read it over and over. I had never before read a book that validated my own existence." It was a turning point. In later life, the two women became close friends. Forget the boys, Oprah started focusing on her education and made a return to public speaking, winning a college scholarship in a speaking competition. RELATED: Steve Harvey Talks To Oprah About Keeping Beneficial People In Our Lives She attended Tennessee State University and started doing local radio. And the rest, as they say, is history. NEXT: Who Has A Higher Net Worth: Oprah Winfrey Or Ellen DeGeneres?