What is a "carpetbagger" ?
gryb
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This was originally a term of contempt used by Southerners for commercial entrepreneurs
from the North who moved to the South during the Reconstruction period immediately
after the Civil War.
It is alleged that these Northerners were deceitful tricksters and unscrupulous opportunists
who exploited the chaotic conditions for their own benefit.
They were supposed to carry their ill-gotten gains in a bag made out of carpet material.
The term arose because the only property qualifications they required was their luggage ---
which was a "carpet bag".
There is probably some truth in the legend because old Southern prints from this period
show pictures of greedy characters carrying their fat carpetbag.
In modern times the term has come to mean a political candidate in an area where the
candidate has no local connections.
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