Scalawags

Definition

Scalawags were Southern Republicans during the Reconstruction era after the American Civil War. They were white Southerners who collaborated with the Republican Party and supported Reconstruction policies, often for personal or political gain.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Scalawags were often viewed with suspicion and disdain by other Southerners who saw them as traitors to the Confederate cause.
2. Many scalawags were former Whigs or Democrats who switched to the Republican Party during Reconstruction, sometimes for personal or financial gain.
3. Scalawags played a key role in establishing Republican-controlled state governments in the South and implementing Reconstruction policies.
4. The presence of scalawags, along with carpetbaggers, fueled resentment and opposition to Reconstruction among white Southerners who wanted to maintain their pre-war power and social structures.
5. As Reconstruction came to an end, many scalawags lost political influence and were marginalized or driven out of the South by the rise of the Democratic Party and the implementation of Jim Crow laws.

Review Questions

• Explain the role of scalawags in the Radical Reconstruction (1867-1872) period.
  • During the Radical Reconstruction period, scalawags, or white Southerners who supported the Republican Party and Reconstruction policies, played a crucial role in establishing Republican-controlled state governments in the South. They collaborated with carpetbaggers (Northerners who moved to the South) and freed slaves (known as freedmen) to implement policies aimed at extending civil and political rights to the formerly enslaved. Scalawags were often viewed with suspicion and disdain by other Southerners who saw them as traitors to the Confederate cause, but their support was essential for the implementation of Reconstruction initiatives.
• Analyze how the presence of scalawags contributed to the eventual collapse of Reconstruction (1872-1877).
  • The presence of scalawags, along with carpetbaggers, fueled resentment and opposition to Reconstruction among white Southerners who wanted to maintain their pre-war power and social structures. As Reconstruction came to an end, many scalawags lost political influence and were marginalized or driven out of the South by the rise of the Democratic Party and the implementation of Jim Crow laws. The backlash against scalawags and the perceived Northern interference in Southern affairs was a significant factor in the collapse of Reconstruction and the restoration of white supremacy in the region.
• Evaluate the motivations and long-term impact of scalawags in the context of Restoring the Union after the Civil War.
  • Scalawags were often former Whigs or Democrats who switched to the Republican Party during Reconstruction, sometimes for personal or financial gain rather than a genuine commitment to the party's principles or Reconstruction policies. While they played a key role in establishing Republican-controlled state governments and implementing Reconstruction initiatives, their motivations were viewed with suspicion by other Southerners. In the long run, the backlash against scalawags and their perceived betrayal of the South contributed to the collapse of Reconstruction and the restoration of white supremacy through the rise of the Democratic Party and the implementation of Jim Crow laws. The legacy of scalawags highlights the complex and often contentious nature of the post-Civil War period as the nation grappled with the challenges of Restoring the Union.

Related terms

Carpetbaggers: Northerners who moved to the South after the Civil War, often to take advantage of economic and political opportunities during Reconstruction.

Freedmen: Former enslaved African Americans who were granted their freedom at the end of the Civil War.

Radical Republicans: A faction of the Republican Party that pushed for aggressive Reconstruction policies, including extending civil and political rights to freed slaves.