Classy Cracker

People often use the word "Cracker" as a derogatory word. The term generally describes a class of early Florida pioneers, mainly small farmers and cattle ranchers. The sound of the Cracker's whip, made from 10 to 12 feet of braided leather, helped the cowboys keep cattle on the trail when driving and brought them out of the jungles when rounding up the herd and made a loud CRACK sound. Cracker cowboys are sometimes called cow hunters, because they typically allowed their cows to wander over the open range to obtain the best grass wherever it could be found rather than confining them in enclosed pastures. They and their ancestors lived in Florida and prospered before the days of cars, highways, mosquito control, air conditioning, Medicare, social security and government welfare. Florida Crackers are resilient, courageous, and very self-sufficient. The Florida cracker usually has a southern heritage, and his ancestors sympathized with the Confederacy during the Civil War.