The Historical Origin Of The Terms Hillbilly and Redneck

 

My father often declared proudly he was a hillbilly. He grew up in Illinois on a farm. His siblings made the same claim. Although the media painted the hillbilly as poor white trash who lacked intelligence, that was not my family at all. Now I live in the Southwest. My pastor, who grew up in Mississippi, often declares he's a redneck, taking the insults surrounding the term to task.

That reminds me that the early believers in Jesus were first called Christians in Antioch. The new religion was so different, it was spoken as a slur. Yet the believers bore the name proudly. Look how that worked out.

Today, I want to share with you the historical origins of Hillbilly and Redneck. Both terms have taken on a negative connotation thanks to journalists and cartoonists who portray a group of farmers as ignorant buffoons. The entertainment value has evolved through the twentieth century with Lil Abner and the silly Mountain Dew commercials containing the tagline "Yahoo Mountain Dew", delivered by a bunch of bare-footed, poorly dressed men guzzling the soft drink as if it were moonshine.

 

As a lover of history and my family, I filtered through all the hype that created this image of poor white trash. I found some interesting facts dating back to the 1600s. The Scots coined the term "Billy Boys," a name given to Scottish followers of King William III. Billy being a slang term for fellow. Anthony Harkiness Hillbilly: A Cultural History of an American Icon, claims the term's origin is the link between two old Scottish expressions "hill-folk" and "Billie" another word for fellow, or guy. These people lived in the hill country on the border of Scotland and England.

It is said that Scottish and Scots-Irish people, the Scottish Low-land and Ulster Presbyterians who immigrated en masse to America during the 1700's brought their traditional music with them to the New World. Many of the songs dealt with William, Prince of Orange, who defeated the Catholic King James II of the Stuart family at the Battle of Boyne, Ireland in 1690. They preserved their history through their music.

The Scots-Irish went from the hills of Scotland and Ireland to the Appalachian and Ozark hill country.

They maintained their tight-knit, clannish social structure. We all recall the famous Hatfield and McCoy feud that lasted for years. Mark Twain had a scene in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn depicting a hillbilly feud.

These sorts of altercations are the background for our modern-day stereotype.

The Scots-Irish were often encouraged to settle in the harsh lands between the civilized areas and the wilderness. They were a buffer between the burgeoning colonies and the Natives who hated the white man encroaching on their lands. These hillbillies understood the native tribal hierarchy as it was similar to clan life, and they often existed peacefully with the Natives. Hillbillies adapted well to the rough lands in the mountains. There were many noted Americans who lived in those hills, Daniel Boone and Davey Crockett to name just two.

Daniel Boone &Davey Crockett

 

 On to the origin of Redneck

In Scotland in the 1640s the Covenanters rejected rule by bishops, often signing manifestos using their own blood. Some wore red cloth around their necks to show their position. The Scottish ruling class called them rednecks, recognizing them as rebels in what was later called The Bishop's War that preceded the rise of Oliver Cromwell as ruler of Britain after deposing Charles I.

Over time, the term came to refer to Presbyterians, especially those along the Scottish border. Some believe because of the large number of Scottish immigrants in pre-revolutionary American South, this may be the origin of the term redneck in America.

Authors Jospeh Flora and Lucinda MacKethan, noted professors of Southern culture and literature, give this stereotype description:

Redneck is a derogatory term currently applied to some lower class and working class southerners. The term, which came into common usage in the 1930s, is derived from the redneck beginnings as a "Yeoman farmer" whose neck would burn as he toiled in the fields. These yeomen farmers settled along the Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina coasts.

Here is another possible origin story.

There are those who believe the term redneck originated during the West Virginia Mine Wars in the early 1920s. Workers who wanted laborers' rights wore red bandanas around their necks and marched up Blair Mountain during the confrontation for workers' rights. Sounds like they followed the ancestors' example from the Bishops' War.

By 1900, "redneck" was used to refer to political factions within the Democratic party, setting apart the poor white farmers in the south.

As you can see, hillbilly and redneck have both evolved through the centuries. Yet, many Americans, like the early followers of Christ, wear the derogatory label proudly.

Country Music has its roots in the hillbilly culture of the Appalachian and Ozark mountains. The rednecks showed themselves as more than poor folks under the thumb of big business when they boldly fought for workers' rights.

Most Scots-Irish in American, no matter where they live geographically can trace their lineage back to those same "Billy Boys" who supported King William III for their religious freedom from James 1. Yep, my father's people were Presbyterian farmers who proudly claimed the name hillbilly.

Did you know the origin of these derogatory terms?

Cindy Ervin Huff, is a multi-published award-winning author in Historical and Contemporary Romance. She’s a 2018 Selah Finalist. Many of her Historical books have Scots-Irish characters as a nod to her ancestry.

Cindy has a passion for encouraging other writers on their journey. When she isn’t writing, she feeds her reading addiction and enjoys her retirement with her husband of 50 plus years, Charles. Visit her at www.cindyervinhuff.com. You can find all her books there.

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The Other Irish--Scots-Irish Influence on America

 

In honor of Saint Patrick's Day, I wanted to share a bit about the Scots- Irish, often referred to as the Ulster Irish, who had a large influence in settling America.

   

The term Ulster-Irish refers to Lowland Scots and Northern English who were given land grants during the many wars and uprisings in Ireland in the 1600 and 1700s. England was determined to break the backs of the Irish Catholics by creating settlements of Protestants in Northern Ireland.

Even though the Ulster-Irish were loyal to England, they were treated poorly during the political upheavals to rid Ireland of its language and religion. And like many of the Irish Catholics, they emigrated to the colonies hoping to escape tyranny and religious persecution. This migration began in 1717, with many more shiploads of Scots-Irish to follow. 

   They populated the wilderness areas of Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, the Shenandoah Valley, and the Tennessee and Kentucky wilderness. The colonial government encouraged them to settle there to create a border between the civilized colonies and the natives. Even though religious freedom was the promise of the colonies, the English settlers disdained the Irish and their counterparts, the Scots-Irish. Moving was better than more persecution. Some colonies passed laws banning them from living there.

         Because these immigrants had lived on rocky, rugged terrain in both Ireland and Scotland, they easily adjusted to life in the Appalachian area. Many became trappers and traders and learned the hunting and fighting ways of their native neighbors.

Like the native tribes they lived among, the Scots lived in clans. Each clan has its own chieftain. The Indian clans had a similar hierarchy. Although there were conflicts, the Scots and Natives developed a mutual respect, even intermarrying.

John Ross- Cherokee Chief 

 Because the tribes had a matriarchal society the children's heritage passed through the mother. So the tribes accepted any interracial child. Because European-Americans recognized heritage through the father, there were several mixed-race men who served in political positions and chiefs of their tribe that helped bridge the gaps between the two worlds.

During the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, and the War of 1812 the Scot-Irish were recognized as fierce warriors. Adapting Indian war tactics, expert shots with the Long Rifle, and the use of the tomahawk, they made a difference in the American victories.

     

  Migrating into Alabama and Mississippi through the early part of the 1800s, they developed a unique frontier culture. A clan-style network between the various villages and their surrounding farms, ready to help one another. And each clan had its own local militia.

         Historical Scots-Irish leaders

 President James K. Polk's Scots-Irish ancestors settled North Carolina.

Sam Houston hero of Texas independent had Scots-Irish roots.

Davey Crockett- famous folk hero had Scot-Irish roots.

Davey Crockett

 

President James Monroe descendants immigrated from Ulster to Virginia.

President Jimmy Carter, Scots-Irish ancestors colonized Georgia.

Not all Scots-Irish were sympathetic to the natives. President Andrew Jackson whose ancestors were Scots-Irish hated the Natives and did all he could to ensure they were removed from the United States. Even those who had assimilated completely into the white culture. The first Trail of Tears took place during his administration.

Did you know? 

About one-third of the Continental Army were Scots-Irish. Their strong desire for independence helped shape the efforts to win the Revolutionary War. 

         Scots-Irish music influenced country music

The Celtic music of lowland Scots had a large influence on American country music. The fiddle was the main instrument and many of the ancient songs depicting historical events from Scotland and Ireland are still sung in the Appalachian Mountians. Bluegrass and early country music reflected their tempo as they began to create their own songs.

When I introduced my children to a video of Celtic music, they declared it sounded just like country music. Absolutely proud to know my ancestors had a hand in shaping it. Here is a sample of their music.

Any of you out there know if your ancestors are Scots-Irish?

Cindy Ervin Huff, is a multi-published award-winning author in Historical and Contemporary Romance.  She’s a 2018 Selah Finalist. Cindy has a passion to encourage other writers on their journey. When she isn’t writing, she feeds her addiction to reading and enjoys her retirement with her husband of 50 plus years, Charles. Visit her at www.cindyervinhuff.com.

I have a lot of irish characters in Village of Women in honor of my ancestors.