Carpetbaggers

CARPETBAGGERS

Carpetbaggers was a derisive term that referred to northern merchants who arrived in the South in the early days of Reconstruction (1865–1877), the twelve-year period of rebuilding that followed the American Civil War (1861–1865). Carpetbaggers were so named because many of them carried carpetbags as luggage. Some Southerners even quipped that these northerners could carry all of their belongings in a carpetbag— implying that carpetbaggers were nothing more than transients.

Many northern businessmen who migrated to the South settled there, but Southerners viewed the newcomers as outsiders and, worse, as opportunists who only intended to make a quick profit before returning North. Nevertheless, carpetbaggers played an important role during Reconstruction. Some, aided by the African American vote, were elected to public office and impacted state and local policy. But others proved to be corrupt. Because of the latter, the term "carpetbagger" became synonymous with a meddling, opportunistic outsider.

See also: Reconstruction, Scalawags