What is a cracker in Florida and The History of the Florida Crackers?
No one disputes the fact that Florida Crackers exist, but the definition and attribution of the term can be hotly argued. In early English literature (1500s), the term was used in a number of instances (including William Shakespeare). What is a Florida Cracker? The earliest use of the term cracker generally referred to a rural underclass of people.
What is the meaning of Florida Cracker?
By the early 1700s, the term “cracker” continued to be used to describe rural people in the South as evidenced by a letter sent to the Earl of Dartmouth stating,
“I should explain to your Lordship what is meant by Crackers; a name they have got from being great boasters; they are a lawless set of rascalls (sic) on the frontiers of Virginia, Maryland, the Carolinas, and Georgia, who often change their places of abode.”
This less-than-flattering description continued into Florida culture in several ways.
Settlements Attempted in Florida
of Florida’s wilderness. And still, cowboys who round them up!
Cattle were brought to the Caribbean by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage and subsequent Spanish explorers added to the herds. By the late 1500s herds of cattle were introduced into Mexico.
In Florida, multiple explorers brought cattle and hogs for food and as work animals. Many cattle were lost into the wilderness or abandoned by attempted settlements.
By the mid-1800s, cattle were abundant in the wilds of south-central Florida. Rounding them up for domestic use were the “Cowkeepers”.
Later called cowboys, the crack of their whips branded them as “Crackers”. In Florida, they became Florida Crackers.
The cowboy Florida crackers were mainly in central and southwest Florida. During the same period, there were other crackers in remote parts of Florida.
Far Reaches of Florida Had Florida Crackers
They were the settlers, farmers, fishermen, hunters and trappers, Many led self-sufficient lifestyles living as hunters, gatherers and homesteaders.
Many of these wilderness “Crackers”, blazed the trail for new settlers and found ways to earn a living by foraging for food and game.
Some became trappers, ship makers and became scouts for explorers and armies.
Who Became Florida Crackers
Partner, be careful how you use the term “Florida Cracker”. Most people in Florida who call themselves crackers are proud of their history. They are the ones who grew up in rural Florida.
Florida Crackers were hard-working people encountering hardships in Florida’s forests, swamps, watery plains and harsh seasonal coastal weather. These are the people who eventually dotted the countryside with farms, rounded up the cattle for our food, harvested our salt and settled the remote areas.
A Florida Cracker was an immigrant, slave, native American, or farmer, and all were the new Floridians we call Crackers.
Some Crackers became plantation owners, politicians and business owners. They were the heart and sole of a brand new nation called the United States of America.
The Meaning of Cracker Changes
Still, after they were the backbone of Florida, the term “cracker” has connotated some negative meanings from outsiders. Some people say the crack of the whips came from slave owners, not cowboys. The term was around long before the slave issues were raised.
Some use the term to refer to poor people. Others use the term as a negative reflection on a person’s character or race.
Basically, the term can be derogatory – if meant that way! If you are a Florida cracker, you are more than likely very proud of being a cracker!
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This article originally appeared here and was republished with permission.
