04 Apr Carpet Bags and Carpetbaggers

Chances are you might’ve heard of the term “carpetbaggers” before. Perhaps in a novel or way back in a high school U.S. history class. But do you know who the carpetbaggers really were? Or why they were called carpetbaggers at all?

The term “carpetbaggers” first originated after the Civil War. The fallout from the war had left the nation divided and though the southern states had surrendered, they still needed to rejoin the Union. In 1865, radical, northern Republicans in Congress refused to seat southern representatives. The Congress instead decided to implement a number of policies now known as “Reconstruction.”

Southern states were put under military control in 1867. Their constitutions were rewritten to include African American suffrage and northern troops oversaw elections to ensure fairness. Between 1865 and 1877, the year that Reconstruction officially ended, a number of northerners moved into southern states to oversee and aid the Reconstruction effort. Their belongings were often carried in a common form of luggage called “carpet bags.” Carpet bags were (and still are) made of carpet patterned like oriental rugs. They were known for their extreme durability as well as their ability to provide a warm blanket for chilly railway cars.

These “carpetbaggers” as the northerners came to be known, were widely despised by southern locals who saw them as meddlesome figures in local politics as well as opportunists exploiting the weakened southern economy. Carpetbaggers were accused of buying up plantations at cheap-prices and forcibly wresting southern businesses from local control. Carpetbaggers were also unpopular for their openly abolitionist agendas. While African Americans had been technically freed, very few southerners were in favor of granting them any further rights or privileges.

While the term “carpetbagger” isn’t heard much anymore, it can be used in modern American English to describe any politician who runs for office in an area where he or she has no community ties. The modern carpet bag still has a reputation for durability though isn’t typically made of carpet anymore. Caring for your carpet bag may require more effort than the occasional vacuuming. If you have questions about real carpet care, however, contact Steamer’s Carpet Care today.