Soon after the death of Lincoln, the war ended in 1865, as Andrew Johnson took the lead of the country trying to conciliate with the South. This caused a movement of people to the South, where within a year, they regained the power they had previously lost with the war. Naturally, the term carpetbagger is peyoraitve,and it was referred to Johnson and his Republican companions seen as opportunists. They plan was to be elected after the civil war came to an end. They sought approval from the South, where they were rather unpopular. The word is still sometimes in use in the United States referring to candidates for elections presented by their political parties in electoral areas with few or non-existent popularity.
The 1956 flag was adopted in an era when the Georgia General Assembly "was entirely devoted to passing legislation that would preserve segregation and white supremacy"
