How did southern whites regard the carpetbaggers?

Southern whites often viewed carpetbaggers with suspicion and disdain during the Reconstruction era. They perceived these Northern transplants as opportunists seeking to exploit the South's post-war turmoil for personal gain, often accusing them of corruption and taking advantage of local resources. This resentment was fueled by the belief that carpetbaggers were undermining traditional Southern values and imposing Northern ideologies. As a result, they were frequently met with hostility and social ostracism in Southern communities.