Why is incest a common stereotype for the southern states of the USA? How did this develop? | AskHistorians Archive Observer

Why is incest a common stereotype for the southern states of the USA? How did this develop?

by Cookielolz

sunagainstgold

You might be interested in my earlier look at this question:

In popular culture and meme posts there's a stereotype correlating living in Southern states and incest. Is there any historical reason why this stereotype is a thing? Why aren't Northern American states associated with this stereotype instead?

Hope this helps!