| Revision as of 05:26, 16 April 2004 editRedWolf (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Administrators94,877 editsm dab Halifax← Previous edit | Revision as of 19:48, 3 May 2004 edit undoDino (talk | contribs)Administrators14,020 editsm merged w. carpetbaggers -- no longer a stubNext edit → | ||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| ==American usage== | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| In the ], derisive term '''carpetbagger''' was a Northerner who traveled to the South after the ], through the late ] and the ], during ]. They went south to exploit the power vacuum created by the Civil War, intending to gain political or financial advantage. The south was poor after the war. | |||
| In subsequent years, the term has come to be used in the United States as a derogatory term for a politician who moves to another state for political reasons, such as ease of election. | |||
| ''Carpetbaggers'' are not to be confused with '']s'', who were southerners who were ] sympathizers. | |||
| ⚫ | They were so named after the habit of carrying belongings in a ]. Since many Southern business and political leaders were ousted from their positions as a result of the war, there was much personal gain to be found by travelling south, and many of these carpetbaggers became ]s, ]s, and ] leaders. | ||
| Certainly many carpetbaggers were ], and the word forever has the meaning of ''"an outsider who moves someplace to exploit the natives and enrich himself at their expense,"'' or ''"a politician who moves to another state for political reasons, such as ease of election."'' | |||
| ==UK usage== | |||
| Carpetbagging was also used in the ] in the 1990s during wave of flotations of ] (mutuals), as a derogatory term for the advocates of these conversions. Investors in these mutuals would receive shares in the new public companies, usually distributed at a flat rate, thus equally benefiting small and large investors, and providing a broad incentive for members to vote for conversion-advocating (carpetbagging) leadership candidates. | Carpetbagging was also used in the ] in the 1990s during wave of flotations of ] (mutuals), as a derogatory term for the advocates of these conversions. Investors in these mutuals would receive shares in the new public companies, usually distributed at a flat rate, thus equally benefiting small and large investors, and providing a broad incentive for members to vote for conversion-advocating (carpetbagging) leadership candidates. | ||
| Line 10: | Line 18: | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| {{msg:stub}} | |||
Revision as of 19:48, 3 May 2004
American usage
In the United States, derisive term carpetbagger was a Northerner who traveled to the South after the American Civil War, through the late 1860s and the 1870s, during Reconstruction. They went south to exploit the power vacuum created by the Civil War, intending to gain political or financial advantage. The south was poor after the war.
Carpetbaggers are not to be confused with scalawags, who were southerners who were Republican sympathizers.
They were so named after the habit of carrying belongings in a carpet bag. Since many Southern business and political leaders were ousted from their positions as a result of the war, there was much personal gain to be found by travelling south, and many of these carpetbaggers became mayors, governors, and business leaders.
Certainly many carpetbaggers were corrupt, and the word forever has the meaning of "an outsider who moves someplace to exploit the natives and enrich himself at their expense," or "a politician who moves to another state for political reasons, such as ease of election."
UK usage
Carpetbagging was also used in the United Kingdom in the 1990s during wave of flotations of building societies (mutuals), as a derogatory term for the advocates of these conversions. Investors in these mutuals would receive shares in the new public companies, usually distributed at a flat rate, thus equally benefiting small and large investors, and providing a broad incentive for members to vote for conversion-advocating (carpetbagging) leadership candidates.
Major building societies which converted included: Northern Rock Halifax Bradford and Bingley Woolwich