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Servants Quote by Adam Wasserman

“Colored labor for the house, field, grove, or garden, while easy to control, is very far from satisfactory. It is always uncertain, indolent, and negligent, unless closely and incessantly watched. As a class, the colored servants are given to falsehood and petty theft, are liable to leave you…” quote by Adam Wasserman
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““Colored labor for the house, field, grove, or garden, while easy to control, is very far from satisfactory. It is always uncertain, indolent, and negligent, unless closely and incessantly watched. As a class, the colored servants are given to falsehood and petty theft, are liable to leave you without a word of warning just when badly needed, and are wasteful of your stores and provender.””

Adam Wasserman

About This Quote

Source Book: Unknown, 19th century plantation handbook, null

Colored labor is unreliable and requires constant supervision, leading to waste and theft.

In simple terms: Colored workers need close oversight.

Key Takeaway

Supervise closely or risk loss.

Themes

trust labor control waste theft

Mood

cautious critical

Type

historical sociological

When to use this quote

  • plantations
  • household management
  • storage oversight

Key Concepts

Colonial economics human labor management

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can oversight be reduced?
  • What alternatives exist?
A Different Perspective

Reliance on constant monitoring is unsustainable.

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