The Controversial History of the Word ‘Hillbilly,’ Which Was First Defined in Print 125 Years Ago in 2025 | Appalachian people, Appalachia, Roots music
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The Controversial History of the Word ‘Hillbilly,’ Which Was First Defined in Print 125 Years Ago
In 1900, a political writer described the “hill-billie” as someone who “talks as he pleases, drinks whiskey when he gets it and fires off his revolver as the fancy takes him.” Since then, the label has been used in both mockery and pride
