EOTO & Trial 2- The term Carpetbaggers

The term carpetbaggers came from the reconstruction era when northerners would come down to the South. Their intended intentions were to become rich and gain political power. Most of these people were in support of the republican party, which would later help create new southern government during reconstruction. The rise of these ideas in the south was essential to make the support in republicans increase, mainly by white Southerners who saw the advantages rather than the disadvantages.

During the reconstruction era, the term carpetbaggers became introduced. Carpetbaggers are what southerns called the northerners who came down to the south after the civil war to become rich and gain political power. The word 'carpetbagger' comes from the idea that these people are coming down with all their belongings in a carpet like bag. The increase of northerns in the south was beneficial to the republican party because it introduced new ideas to the white southerns that they ended up supporting. Although the southerns did not want the northerns on their land to exploit their economical gain, they did end up discovering they would need their political opinions to help create a successful republican party.