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Following the Civil War, some Northerners migrated to the former states of the Confederacy and subsequently held positions of power in politics, education, and business. During the Reconstruction era, Southerners called these newcomers "carpetbaggers," a reference to the popular, inexpensive yet durable luggage that many carried upon their arrival. The overwhelming perception among native Southerners was that these individuals would exploit the weakened economy and people for their own financial gain while also promoting Republican ideals. Several political cartoons of the era, most notably Thomas Nast's "Man with the Carpet Bags" (1872), depicted individual(s) holding carpet bags similar to this one, walking to a pictorial representation of the U.S. South.
Today, the term "carpetbagger" continues to be considered a derogatory term.
