Hillbilly

Hillbilly is a term (often derogatory) for people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas in the United States, primarily in Appalachia and the Ozarks, Uwharrie Mountains, and Caraway Mountains. Due to its strongly stereotypical connotations, the term can be offensive to those Americans of Appalachian or Ozark heritage. "Hillbilly" first appeared in print in a 1900 New York Journal article, with the definition: "a Hill-Billie is a free and untrammeled white citizen of Tennessee, who lives in the hills, has no means to speak of, dresses as he can, talks as he pleases, drinks whiskey when he gets it, and fires off his revolver as the fancy takes him". The stereotype is twofold in that it incorporates both positive and negative traits: "Hillbillies" are often considered independent and self-reliant individuals who resist the modernization of society, but at the same time they are also defined as backward and violent. Scholars argue this duality is reflective of the split ethnic identities in white America.

The Appalachian Mountains were settled in the 18th century by settlers primarily from the Province of Ulster in Ireland. The settlers from Ulster were mainly Protestants who migrated to Ireland during the Plantation of Ulster in the 17th century from Scotland and Northern England. Many further migrated to the American colonies beginning in the 1730s, and in America became known as the Scotch-Irish. Scholars argue that the term "hillbilly" originated from Scottish dialect. The term "hill-folk" referred to people that preferred isolation from the greater society and "billy" meant "comrade" or "companion." It is suggested that "hill-folk" and "billie" were combined when the Cameronians fled to the Highlands.

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