Like in most cases, there are always present a group of people who feel no qualms to flip sides from one group the other as the power changes. They are usually referred to as traitors or cheats. The meaning of the terms carpetbaggers and scalawags is closely associated with this feature of humans. In fact, both these terms appeared at a time when America was in deep crisis. There was stark distinction between the northern and southern parts of the country, and there were futile attempts being made to protect the honor of the Afro-Americans, and the overpowering attempts to edge their basic rights as citizens. This was also the time when the once-detached southern part was brought under the big umbrella of the Union. In the wake of this turmoil, there were groups of people who left no stone unturned to beget the sole beneficiaries of wealth, power, and luxury. These terminologies were used in sheer contempt and disregard for the unacceptable conduct of those people. Before we try to understand these terminologies in more detail, it is necessary to know about the factors that ignited the occurrence of these people―the factors being the American Civil War and the following reconstruction regime. Well, though the concept of these unique terminologies appeared at the time of the American Civil War, neither does it limit the significance of the terms in that era, nor to that geographical location either. These terminologies are more than simply words. They are, in fact, a description of human attitude and values that are prevalent in all the classes of a civilized society.