1. a person from the North who went to the South after the Civil War to profit from Reconstruction
Usage: historical; often derogatory
2. a person who moves to a new place to seek profit or advantage, especially in politics or business, without genuine local ties or commitment
Usage: derogatory

Examples

• During Reconstruction, carpetbaggers from the North arrived in Southern states seeking business opportunities.
• Critics accused the new politician of being a carpetbagger who had no real connection to the community.
• The carpetbagger bought up land cheaply after the war and sold it for profit.
• Local residents resented the carpetbaggers who came to exploit the region's economic troubles.
• He was dismissed as a carpetbagger because he had only moved to the district months before running for office.
• The term carpetbagger originally referred to the traveling bags made of carpet material that Northern migrants carried.
• Modern carpetbaggers in the tech industry move to cities purely for financial gain.