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“Beaten Like a Red-Headed Stepchild”
The Origin of the Expression
I’ve written about the etymology of a couple of expressions, “The Origin of I’m Free. White and 21,” and “There’s a N*gger in the Woodpile Somewhere.” Someone wondered where “Beaten Like a Red-Headed Stepchild” came from, and I was curious and decided to research it.
The expression dates back to the 1800s when Irish immigrants arrived in America. In the hierarchy/caste system that was America then, the Irish ranked somewhere above enslaved Black people, a step ahead of Black indentured servants, though many were indentured servants themselves, and in the same vicinity as free Black people. The Irish were not yet considered white and were forced into segregated communities.
Red-headedness is related to a recessive gene and often skips generations. When none of the other family members have red hair, a child with red hair might be considered a bastard and become the subject of ridicule and blame, though faultless. Some red-heads were literal stepchildren and, through marriage, became part of blended families where the red-haired child stood out. Women didn’t have long life spans those days; many died in childbirth. Men didn’t live so long either, and second and third marriages were common, not from divorce but involving widows and widowers.
