How were carpetbaggers portrayed by their opponents?

• A. As rootless adventurers exploiting black voters for greed.
• B. As principled reformers.
• C. As loyal to the South.
• D. As wealthy administrators.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is how opponents cast carpetbaggers during Reconstruction. They portrayed Northern newcomers as rootless outsiders who rushed into the South with the aim of grabbing political power and wealth, often by manipulating Black voters to support their own interests. That image—outside agitators using Reconstruction to profit—highlights greed and opportunism rather than genuine reform, which is why the portrayal of them as rootless adventurers exploiting Black voters for greed best fits the question.

Other labels don’t line up with that opponent’s view. Calling them principled reformers would push a positive image that opponents didn’t use; suggesting they were loyal to the South contradicts the outsiders’ stereotype; and branding them as wealthy administrators focuses on a specific bureaucratic role not central to the common opposition portrayal.