Thankful Bacon was born on June 6, 1743, in Middletown, Middlesex County, Connecticut. She was the daughter of Josiah Andrew Bacon Sr. and Thankful Doolittle, a family deeply rooted in the early colonial history of New England. The Bacon family was part of a community that valued hard work, faith, and family ties, which were essential for survival in the rugged environment of 18th-century Connecticut.