After the American Civil war (1861 -1865) and the victory of the Union, a process of Reconstruction (1865-1877) took place. This process aimed to transform the 11 ex-confederated states in a "republican form of government" via laws and constitutional amendments.
The Southerners felt Northerners were getting rich at their expense because since the end of the war many moved to the south as social reformers. Several of them were businessmen who acquired or rented plantations and became wealthy landowners, choosing freedmen to do the labor. Following the Civil War, Northerners often obtained plantations at fire-sale rates. Because of this, they were commonly considered to be taking advantage of those living in the South.