Carpetbaggers are best described as which group?

• A. Northerners who travel down south to make themselves money
• B. Southern merchants
• C. Immigrant laborers from Europe
• D. Northern abolitionists

Answer: (A)

Carpetbaggers are Northerners who moved to the South during Reconstruction to take advantage of new opportunities, often in politics or business, after the Civil War. The image of carrying everything in carpetbags symbolized a transient, opportunistic move into a devastated region where they could profit from the upheaval and help shape the rebuilt governments. That makes the description of moving South to make money the best fit.

The other options don’t match the term as it’s used in Reconstruction history. Southern merchants aren’t what “carpetbaggers” refers to, European immigrant laborers aren’t defined by this label, and Northern abolitionists describe a different group focused on ending slavery, not on relocating to exploit postwar opportunities.