Last week in Florida I passed through a boat yard called Cracker Boy Boat Works. A person I was with commented, “Funny they’d call themselves that,” as cracker generally has a negative connotation. Another guy there said that even though most people use the word cracker as a putdown of rural southern whites, the term actually refers to Cracker Cowboys who herded cracker cattle–descended from cattle stocks brought over by Spanish explorers–using bull whips. Hence the name “cracker.”
You learn something new every day. I’d always thought the term came out of Georgia, referring to plantation hands who cracked whips over the heads of slaves. Wikipedia (which is never wrong) provided a different answer to who and what actually is a Florida Cracker.
Pete McDonald
You better write to wikipedia and get this straightened out
I think Wikipedia is right on this one. I’m looking for historical references to find out more. I’ve got some Florida history books at home I’ll have to peruse.