A slow day so I'll drift a bit in my response to the use of the word CRACKER...
Florida crackers were colonial -era British and American pioneer settlers and their descendants in what is now the U.S. state of Florida. The first of these arrived in 1763 after Spain traded Florida to Great Britain following the latter's victory over France in the Seven Years' War. A Florida cracker usually has a rural upbringing, either on a farm or in a small town with plenty of woods and water for hunting and fishing and land for planting. That's because a Florida cracker is self sufficient. When modern civilization collapses, the Florida cracker will be hunting, fishing, trapping and growing his own food. ---
The cracker has nothing to do with a small crisp food item. -- iG
The true original
CRACKERS where those that rounded up free-range cattle from the dense Florida underbrush, using BULLWHIPS to drive them out for a round-up.
'Cracking the Whip' so to speak,
CRACKERS! And BTW, they were of all races and/or previous nationalities. There were Indians and free blacks among many others that were crackers, but that seems to have been forgotten in more recent times.... True crackers, like true rednecks
(those that worked daily outside in the sun) were not racist white men nor Demorat KKK members. Gross ignorance has twisted the meaning of many words throughout history.
More recently: A Rare, Endangered, and Threatened Species. Florida Crackers are native born Floridians who speak a unique language. It is a language spoken from the heart that anyone can understand. True Florida Crackers have at least one
lineal descendant who was also born in the Sunshine State. Florida Crackers feel comfortable
shucking oysters, telling stories around a campfire, riding horses, spending time in THE SWAMP,
grilling out large steaks, and they possess sophisticated humility. Florida Crackers have a kinship with other fellow Florida Crackers and they can communicate non-verbally. Florida Crackers are resilient, courageous, and very self-sufficient.
Just a note: I (iG) meet all of the above criteria, except for never driving cattle out of underbrush with my bullwhip. My S.FL Cattle Ranch Foreman maternal uncle, hand made and gave me a 10' Bullwhip in my early teens. He was a man's man that I always said yes sir to, and never back talked. A very congenial man, until you confronted him. Then he was rock solid and as tough as old well tanned leather. Uncle Smokey has long since passed, but on occasion I still think of him, fondly as the near perfect example of a true Florida Cracker.
Governor
Lawton Chiles was a proud
(new-day) Florida Cracker.
Steve Spurrier was born in Miami, and even though raised in rural Tenn, he still embodies many of the traits of a Florida Cracker.
