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Scalawag

A “scalawag” is a pejorative term for a white southerner who supported Reconstruction efforts in the south in the late 1800s.

They are often associated with carpetbaggers, who were their northern counterparts.

Origin of “Scalawag”

The term was used by southern Democrats who were not in favor of Reconstruction policies.

It originally was used to refer to a useless farm animal, so being called a scalawag was equal to being called a useless person.

They were viewed as even lower than carpetbaggers, because they were seen as traitors to the culture they grew up in.

A scalawag could have supported Reconstruction for many reasons. Some believed in giving rights to Black people.

Others were poor and saw the advantages of added labor to revitalize the economy.

Others were just Republicans who supported the sought to fix the reputation of the South.

However, the connotation of the word implies that scalawags only supported the policy for personal gain.

More from History.com:

Scalawags had diverse backgrounds and motives, but all of them shared the belief that they could achieve greater advancement in a Republican South than they could by opposing Reconstruction.

Taken together, scalawags made up roughly 20 percent of the white electorate and wielded a considerable influence.

Many also had political experience from before the war, either as members of Congress or as judges or local officials.

Use of “scalawag” in a sentence

  • In the aftermath of the Civil War, “scalawags” was a term used to describe Southern whites who supported Reconstruction and allied with the Republican Party, often for their own economic or political advantage.
  • As the mayoral election draws near, opponents of the incumbent have taken to calling him a “scalawag,” alleging that he has manipulated the system to his personal benefit.
  • The local newspaper ran a contentious op-ed piece accusing several city council members of being “scalawags,” using their positions for personal gain rather than serving the public good.