USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The term carpetbagger, used exclusively as a pejorative term, originated from the carpet bags (a form of cheap luggage made from carpet fabric) which many of these newcomers carried.

Detailed explanation-2: -The term carpetbagger was used by opponents of Reconstruction-the period from 1865 to 1877 when the Southern states that seceded were reorganized as part of the Union-to describe Northerners who moved to the South after the war, supposedly in an effort to get rich or acquire political power.

Detailed explanation-3: -A carpet bag is a top-opening travelling bag made of carpet, commonly from an oriental rug. It was a popular form of luggage in the United States and Europe in the 19th century, featuring simple handles and only an upper frame, which served as its closure. Some small modern versions are used as handbags or purses.

Detailed explanation-4: -Freedmen’s Bureau In general, the southern state governments formed during this period of Reconstruction represented a coalition of African Americans, recently arrived northern whites (“carpetbaggers”) and southern white Republicans (“scalawags”).

Detailed explanation-5: -Carpetbagger is always a negative word, implying or accusing someone of exploiting a situation for personal gain. During the U.S.’s Reconstruction period, which followed the American Civil War, carpetbagger referred to white Northerners who moved to the South to easily win political offices.