What is a Carpetbagger? Who were the Carpetbaggers? Learn about Carpetbaggers and Scalawags. Read about the role Carpetbaggers played in Reconstruction.
Updated: 07/21/2021
What is a Carpetbagger?
What is a Carpetbagger?
Historical Context
April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee of the Confederacy surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant of the Union; the U.S. Civil War was over. The bitter Civil War in the United States left the country physically destroyed. The period of Reconstruction (1865-1877) began with a focus on putting the country back together again politically, economically, and physically. One of the primary problems the former Confederate States faced was the financial ruin the war had left them. The post-war years in the south provided many Americans with an opportunity to benefit from the financial reconstruction of the south.
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Who were the Carpetbaggers?
A Carpetbagger was a slang term for northerners who, after the war was over, moved to the south to take economic advantage of the reconstructing south. Carpetbaggers got their name from their large carpetbags that they packed containing all of their belongings. Many Carpetbaggers were able to buy land in the south because former plantation owners no longer had a workforce to tend the lands. Carpetbaggers viewed themselves as saviors of the struggling south; moving to the war-torn region to aid in its rebuilding.
- Carpetbaggers typically were supporters of the Republican Party,
- Frequently Carpetbaggers supported legislation that promoted racial equality for newly-freed men,
- Carpetbaggers began a variety of different businesses in the south, from banking to newspapers
Examples of Carpetbagging Practices
Economic Opportunists
Carpetbaggers moved to the south to take advantage of the cheap land and business that were being sold by southerners. Carpetbaggers were able to buy property and businesses cheaply because southerners needed the money to pay Civil War debts; the Confederate States of America (CSA) had borrowed a great deal of money from citizens but could not pay any of it back. Carpetbaggers were able to capitalize on southerners' economic troubles and begin a new business. For example, Carpetbaggers were able to purchase southern land cheaply; frequently having to only pay the back taxes on the land which could be as low as $25.
Political Opportunists
After the war, southern states were required to be readmitted back into the Union. While the federal government worked on the readmission process, Carpetbaggers took political advantage of this time period. The federal government had banned former Confederate leaders and military from voting, which limited the political power of southern states. Carpetbaggers were able to vote and hold political office, unlike many southerners. As a result, many southern governments were controlled by Carpetbaggers who were able to maintain their position in southern governments due to the federal governments' restrictions on former Confederates.
Idealistic Americans
A final group of Carpetbaggers was made up of former Union soldiers, teachers, and members of the Freedman's Bureau. After the war, many former Union soldiers remained in the south rather than return to their homes in the north. Other Americans, such as teachers and Freedman's Bureau workers, moved to the south to aid newly freedmen. In 1865, the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (or the Freedman's Bureau) was created by Congress in an attempt to help reconstruction efforts of the south. Working with the Freedman's Bureau, many northerners moved to the south to help reconstruction efforts by building schools.
Carpetbaggers and Reconstruction
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Carpetbaggers were not always welcomed by southerners. At first, Carpetbaggers were welcomed by southerners because they knew that, in order to revive their state's economy, northern money needed to come into the state. However, as more northerners moved to the south and were able to buy land and businesses, former wealthy southerners found their social standing in the south quickly changing. As reconstruction continued, southerners viewed Carpetbaggers as opportunistic northerners who were taking advantage of weakened southerners. Many Carpetbaggers were even targeted by the Ku Klux Klan, mainly because of their efforts in supporting racial equality in southern states.
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Carpetbaggers and Scalawags
During the period of Reconstruction, another group of people were greatly disliked by former Confederates; Scalawags.
Carpetbaggers were different from Scalawags, in that Scalawags were white southerners who supported the Republican Party during the era of Reconstruction. Historians suggest that Scalawags made up only about 20% of the southern population during Reconstruction, but that this population allowed Republican policies to control the period of Reconstruction.
- Carpetbaggers moved to southern states for economic, political, and social opportunities; Scalawags were politically motivated.
- Carpetbaggers were northerners who headed south after the war; Scalawags were southerners.
Modern Carpetbaggers
Today, the term Carpetbagger is used to describe a political candidate that is new to a region for which they are running for political office. To call someone a Carpetbagger today, is to note that they are not native to the region and are an outsider.
- Robert Kennedy, in 1964, ran and won the election to the U.S. Senate for New York.
- Hillary Clinton, in 2001, ran and won the election to the U.S. Senate for New York.
Lesson Summary
After General Lee surrendered to General Grant, the United States entered a period called Reconstruction. Reconstruction lasted from 1865 to 1877, during which the United States had to be politically, socially, and economically put back together. During the period of Reconstruction, many northerners moved to the south and were called Carpetbaggers. Carpetbaggers packed all of their belongings into a bag and moved south. Carpetbaggers were initially welcomed by southerners because northern money was needed in southern states to help rebuild. However, southerners quickly viewed Carpetbaggers as taking advantage of the struggling south. Many Carpetbaggers even experienced problems with the Ku Klux Klan as a result of moving to the south.
Carpetbaggers moved to the south to:
- Start a new business and buy cheap land,
- Take on political roles in reconstructing governments,
- Build schools and hospitals with the Freedman's Bureau.
Carpetbaggers and Scalawags
Scalawags were another group of people that were greatly disliked by former Confederates. Sacalawags were white southerners that supported the Republican Party during Reconstruction. Unlike Carpetbaggers, Scalwags were native southerners who began to support the Republican Party and their Reconstruction policies. Many southerners viewed the political motivations of Scalawags as traitorous to their southern heritage.
- Carpetbaggers were from the North; Scalawags were from the South
- Carpetbaggers were politically, socially, and economically motivated; Scalawags were politically motivated
Modern Carpetbaggers
Today, to call someone a Carpetbagger is to note that they are not native to a region for which they are running for political office. Examples of modern Carpetbaggers would be Robert Kennedy and Hillary Clinton, who both ran and won elections to the U.S. Senate for the State of New York.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the opposite of a carpetbagger?
A carpetbagger is an individual that moved from the north to the south during the period of Reconstruction (1865-1877). Today an individual that runs for political office in a region they are not normally from can be called a carpetbagger. The oppositive of a carpetbagger would be called a native.
What does it mean to be called a carpetbagger?
A carpetbagger was an individual who moved from the north to the south during the period of Reconstruction (1865-1877). To be called a carpetbagger today is to indicate that an individual is not native to a region for which they are running for political office.
What is an example of a carpetbagger?
A carpetbagger is an individual that moved from the north to the south during the period of Reconstruction (1865-1877). Many carpetbaggers were former Union soldiers, businessmen looking to start new businesses, or individuals working with the Freedman's Bureau. Carpetbaggers were able to buy up cheap southern land and businesses due to the economic problems of the former Confederacy.
What did the carpetbaggers do?
A carpetbagger was an individual that moved from the north to the south during the period of Reconstruction (1865-1877). Once in the south, Carpetbaggers bought up cheap land and businesses. Sometimes carpetbaggers even took political office in southern states, because many former Confederates were prohibited from holding political office.
What is the difference between carpetbaggers and scalawags?
A carpetbagger is a northerner who moved to the south during the period of Reconstruction (1865-1877) for economic, social, and sometimes political opportunities. A scalawag was a white southerner who supported the Republican Party during the period of Reconstruction.
Why are carpetbaggers called carpetbaggers?
A carpetbagger is an individual who moved from the north to the south during the period of Reconstruction (1865-1877). To make this move, the individual would pack their belongings in a large bag, called a carpetbag.
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What is a Carpetbagger? | Carpetbaggers in Reconstruction
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