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Booker is born to parents that the player knows little to nothing about, into a world that brings out the worst in him.

At age sixteen he takes part in the Wounded Knee Massacre as a member of the US 7th Calvary Regiment. Because of an accusation from his sergeant about his possible Native American lineage, Booker responds in turn with violent acts, burning Native Americans alive and scalping victims, taking trophies from those who suffered his wrath. While he was seen as a hero and respected by his comrades, who even went so far as to nickname him "The White Injun", Booker kept a great deal of guilt over the massacre.

Shameful of his acts, Booker attends a river baptism in hopes of finding forgiveness. At the last minute however, he abandons the idea, realizing what little a "dunk in the river" would do the sins he had committed.

Two years after Wounded Knee, Booker finds himself a Pinkerton Agent, and knows no better than he did in the army, at the river. During this time he finds himself with a reputation, infamous for ending labor strikes with extreme bouts of violence, though none of the acts committed are specified, as far as the player knows. During this time, he meets a woman, with whom he has a child. His wife dies during the delivery of his daughter however, and sometime in the middle of this, he is let go as an agent for his methods. Unemployed with a baby girl who has no mother, Booker crumbles at the situation and turns to drinking and gambling, burying the two of them in debt.

Quickly falling into loan after loan, loss after loss, Booker becomes a private investigator, but little works to combat his alcoholism and his time at the racetracks. A man approaches him one day, and offers a chance to wipe his slate clean.

Booker considers.

In 1893 on October 8, Booker DeWitt makes a choice that haunts him for the next twenty years; he sells his daughter in order to relieve himself of his gambling debts. Wrought with guilt, he pursues the people he gives his daughter to, wanting to take back his decision. He fails as the two men escape and his daughter is pulled through <a href="http://bioshock.wikia.com/wiki/Tear">TEAR</a>, the only hint that she existed in his world being her pinky, which had been severed in the struggle.

Driven further into depression, Booker suffers for his choices and brands himself with the initials of his daughter, 'AD' on the back of his right hand. He continues work as a private investigator, but there's no success in the business, only enough work that keeps him living, teaches him

As if history loves to have him back, Booker is once again approached by a man. This time, there is a woman with him. They give him an offer to make things right, to get Anna back. A Tear opens and Booker crosses over into it. Although though he suffers the effects of the process, he is taken to the coast of Maine.

<a href="http://bioshock.wikia.com/wiki/The_Lighthouse_(BioShock_Infinite)">THE LIGHTHOUSE</a> is where it starts, where a girl must be brought to wipe away the debt, where Booker learns of Floating Cities and Bottles that give one Powers.