Where does the “inbred hillbilly” stereotype come from? | AskHistorians Archive Observer

Where does the “inbred hillbilly” stereotype come from?

by Mileston

The people of the Appalachian mountains are often represented as being inbred and backwards. Was incest as common among these folk as is often suggested in jokes and media?

silverappleyard

Not to discourage further discussion, but you might be interested in these previous answers on the subject:

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? by /u/sunagainstgold
When and why did first cousin marriage become a taboo in many parts of the US, when it is not in most of the world? with u/yodatsracist.