...the utterly corrupt activities of the northern Carpetbaggers who went down there to loot and exploit the place during the Reconstruction period.

Nonsense. Another shibboleth of long standing, which has been shown to be almost entirely bogus. Another myth that owes its origin to the southern "War Against The Blacks" which followed "The War Between The States". Its way past time this turkey was consigned to the trash where it belongs.

See- among many other excellent works on this subject - Eric Foner's "Reconstruction - America's Unfinished Revolution" 1988 ( also the works in the extensive bibliography thereof) and his "Freedom's Lawmakers : A Directory of Black Officeholders during Reconstruction" 1993 (ditto the bibliography)