To settle an argument in St. Petersburg, FL. Where does the epithet 'redneck' originate?

There are TWO origins The Farmers with the sunburned necks, as above AND reference to the common red bandanna worn around their necks, often to protect from sunburn.---No one knows which is the original reason.

The term characterized farmers having a red neck caused by sunburn from hours working in the fields. A citation from 1893 provides a definition as "poorer inhabitants of the rural districts...men who work in the field, as a matter of course, generally have their skin stained red and burnt by the sun, and especially is this true of the back of their necks".