Similarities Between Rednecks And Hillbillies

521 Words2 Pages

While the terms Rednecks and Hillbillies are commonly used words in todays American South and its culture, their origins are found in Scottland and date back to the immigration of many of the Scottish dissenters to America during the 1700’s. The name Redneck, was given to supporters of the National Covenant and The Solemn League and Covenant. These Covenanters were mainly Presbyterians and they signed documents stating that Ulster-Scotlanders wished to have the Presbyterian church and not the Church of England as their church. Many of the Covenanters signed these documents with their own blood. They were called "Red Neck", because they wore red cloths around their necks as an insigna of their stance on the church. Many of the Scottish settlers in America were Presbyterian, so the term "Redneck" was applied to them, and their southern descendants. The nickname for …show more content…

This lowered their social status and they became labeled as rednecks or hillbillies. We have to remember that although these two types of people are similar they do have different natures, cultures, and life styles. Hillbillies are people who live in remote, rural, mountainous areas, and have their own way of life. These mountain and village people avoided coming in contact with other people and their cities. We view the hillbillies to be a poor, uneducated, and uncivilized people, but even so they enjoy an undemanding and uncomplicated way of life. The name redneck is similar to hillbilly in meaning. Both types of people are seen as poor, uneducated, simple people living in the South. Rednecks are also thought to be foolish, backwards, and often drunk farmers. Some say they recieved the name redneck because they turned down their collars while working causing thier neck to get sunburned and darken. Although perception of the two can seem similar, we can see there are signfience differences between these two types of

Open Document