2nd annual Florida Cracker Seafood Festival

From 2nd annual Florida Cracker Seafood Festival Website:

Florida Cracker Seafood Festival
August 30, 2014

The term "Florida Cracker" refers to the original colonial era English and American pioneer settlers of what is now the state of Florida and their decedents.

The first of these settlers arrived in 1763 when Spain traded Florida to Great Britain. Soon after, the English both at home and in the American colonies applied the term "Cracker" to Scott-Irish and English American settlers of the remote Florida back country.

The word was later associated with many of Florida's native residents that were now coastal fisherman, farmers and cowboys. All of whom were decedents of those early frontiersmen.

Living in a time before grocery and convenience stores, people traded goods to survive. Farmers and Cowboys alike would travel several days by horse and wagon to trade vegetables and beef to Fisherman for fish oils, salt and smoked fish. These fishermen would distill seawater to get salt for trade. Without this salt early Florida settlers would have been hard pressed to find a way to preserve their foods.

In modern times the term "Cracker" is used by Floridians whose families have lived in the state for many generations. Being associated with a culture who not only lived but thrived in a time before air conditioning and refrigeration gives a great sense of pride to these "Modern Day Crackers".