Trial and Error:: The Case of John Brownfield and Race Relations in Georgetown, South Carolina

by Tom Rubillo

The city of Georgetown, South Carolina, is situated along the Atlantic coast where the Sampit River feeds into Winyah Bay. The early wealth of the area through 1865 was derived from an agricultural economy built on the backs of slave labor. This economy and the institution of slavery collapsed with the emancipation of the black population after the Civil War. During the latter half of the nineteenth century, however, Georgetown remained marred with inequalities between blacks and whites despite efforts to achieve a racial and cultural balance.

In Trial and Error, Tom Rubillo explores the volatile case of John Brownfield--a black man tried for shooting a white policeman in the 1900s--and the Jim Crow mentality that was imbedded in the turn-of-the-century South. The result is a stirring narrative that examines the history of race relations in Georgetown, the trial of John Brownfield and the impact of the trial through the twentieth century to the present day. With meticulous research and engaging prose, Rubillo reconstructs the case and trial that became a watershed for race relations in Georgetown. Trial and Error is an essential volume in the history of Georgetown, the South Carolina Lowcountry and indeed the South as a whole.

Paperback

First published May 1, 2005

Reviews

[Lisa]

“Small men took on the powers and heirs of tyrants and masters.”

“Oppression makes a wise man mad”

I’ve been to Georgetown, South Carolina. I have family there. The maternal side of my husband’s family has been there for decades, if not centuries. This book explored race relations in Georgetown. The second half of the book dealt specifically with the John Brownfield case. While you know full well the poor treatment free Black citizens received under the law post-Reconstruction, it’s still painfully hard to read the facts of the case and the flagrant miscarriage of justice. Overall, this was a solid historical read (even if you don't have ties to this part of the country), and has already sent me in pursuit of additional works to consume.

[Kendall]

My father gave me this book to help research for my book. It is a whistle-blower, chock full of local history and hidden truths. Very good so far...