[1] In 1876, F. L. Sommer & Company of St. Joseph, Missouri, started using baking soda as a leavening agent (causing air bubbles) in its wafer-thin cracker.

Initially called the Premium Soda Cracker and later "Saltines" because of the baking salt component, the invention quickly became popular and Sommer's business quadrupled within four years.

[7][8] Soda crackers are made in the United Kingdom by Huntley and Palmers, and in Australia and New Zealand under the brand name Arnott's Salada.

[9][10] As a home remedy, saltines are consumed by many people in order to ease nausea, diarrhea (see bland diet), and to settle an upset stomach.

[11] Saltine crackers have also been frequently included in military field rations (Meal, Ready-to-Eat, or MRE) in the United States.

[12][13] Saltines have been compared to hardtack, a simple unleavened cracker or biscuit made from flour, water, and sometimes salt.