[beezdotcom]

In recent times Yankees have tried to turn the term into a negative racial stereotype.

Not necessarily. The term has had multiple parallel origins, not all of them recent, and not all as positive as the "Georgia Cracker" etymology.

[Albion Wilde]

The term [cracker] has had multiple parallel origins, not all of them recent, and not all as positive as the "Georgia Cracker" etymology.

It had a single origin, but morphed into multiple usages. See post 148.