Scalawags were:

Scalawags were:

• A. Southerners who agree with Radical Republicans
• B. Northern merchants who moved south
• C. Freedmen's Bureau agents
• D. Democrats resisting Reconstruction

Answer: (A)

Scalawags were Southern whites who supported Reconstruction and cooperated with the Republican-led governments established in the South after the Civil War. They believed Reconstruction offered political and economic opportunities or saw pragmatic value in aligning with Radical Republicans to reshape Southern politics. That description fits best because it identifies scalawags as Southern whites who backed Reconstruction, not Northern newcomers who moved south (carpetbaggers), not federal agents like Freedmen's Bureau staff, and not Democrats opposing Reconstruction. Understanding this helps explain why some Southern whites chose to work with the new Republican governments rather than resist them.

Scalawags were Southern whites who supported Reconstruction and cooperated with the Republican-led governments established in the South after the Civil War. They believed Reconstruction offered political and economic opportunities or saw pragmatic value in aligning with Radical Republicans to reshape Southern politics. That description fits best because it identifies scalawags as Southern whites who backed Reconstruction, not Northern newcomers who moved south (carpetbaggers), not federal agents like Freedmen's Bureau staff, and not Democrats opposing Reconstruction. Understanding this helps explain why some Southern whites chose to work with the new Republican governments rather than resist them.