What does the carpetbagger political cartoon mean?

1872 Harper’s Weekly political cartoon of Carl Schurz depicted as a carpetbagger, which reflected Southern attitudes toward Northerners during Reconstruction. The term “carpetbagger” is routinely applied to political candidates who run for office in a region where they are recent arrivals.

What is the man with the carpet bags?

Literally describing an unwelcome stranger with no more property than could be carried in a satchel (carpetbag), the epithet later came to refer to anyone perceived as an interloper who came to a region to exploit it against the wishes of the inhabitants.

What did the term carpetbagger mean?

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.

Who were carpetbaggers and what did they do?

In general, the term “carpetbagger” refers to a traveler who arrives in a new region with only a satchel (or carpetbag) of possessions, and who attempts to profit from or gain control over his new surroundings, often against the will or consent of the original inhabitants.

Who was the man with the carpet bags?

“The Man with the (Carpet) Bags,” cartoon by Thomas Nast depicting a common Southern attitude toward Northerners during Reconstruction, 1872. The Granger Collection, New York After the Civil War, the South was badly in need of investment capital, and a large influx of Northerners sought economic opportunity there.

What does the term carpetbagger mean in politics?

United States. In the United States, the common usage, usually derogatory, refers to politicians who move to different states, districts or areas to run for office despite their lack of local ties or familiarity. The awards season blog of The New York Times is titled “The Carpetbagger”.

Why did Thomas Nast draw the Carpetbagger?

“The Man with the (Carpet) Bags,” cartoon by Thomas Nast depicting a common Southern attitude toward Northerners during Reconstruction, 1872. After the Civil War, the South was badly in need of investment capital, and a large influx of Northerners sought economic opportunity there.

Who was the carpetbagger in the Civil War?

Carpetbagger, in the United States, a derogatory term for an individual from the North who relocated to the South during the Reconstruction period (1865–77), following the American Civil War. The term was applied to Northern politicians and financial adventurers whom Southerners accused of coming to the South to use…