Chapter 3: How Did British Rule and External Developments Affect SIngapore's Growth as a Port City from 1819 to 1942?

Question 1

What are the 6 areas that played an important role in Singapore’s development?

Answer 1

Free port status, administrative changes, law and order, education, healthcare and facilities.

Question 2

When was the free port status put in place?

Answer 2

1819

Question 3

Why did free port status attract traders to Singapore?

Answer 3

With the free port status , traders that came in ships from different places could trade freely with one another and were not required to pay taxes on the goods that they carried.

Question 4

What was involved in most of Singapore’s trade?

Answer 4

Transshipment and entrepot trade

Question 5

What is transshipment?

Answer 5

Transshipment refers to the transfer of goods from one trading ship to another while still in transit at the port.

Question 6

What is entrepot trade?

Answer 6

The redistribution and repackaging of imported manufactured goods and regional produce is known as entrepot trade.

Question 7

What were the reasons for transshipment and entrepot trade in Singapore?

Answer 7

Singapore provided an easily accessible, tax-free and centrally located place for both Western and Asian goods to be collected and exchanged. As a result, Singapore flourished as a port city.

Question 8

How were goods from different parts of the world brought into?

Answer 8

They were brought in bulk.

Question 9

How were the goods repackaged?

Answer 9

The goods were repackaged into smaller quantities.

Question 10

Where were some of the places that the repackaged goods exported to?

Answer 10

They were exported to Europe, India, China and the Malay Archipelago.

Question 11

State all of the administrative changes that happened from 1819- 1942.

Answer 11

1. Sir Stamford Raffles ( 1819-June of 1823)
2. India (June of 1823 to 1824)
3. EIC ( East India Company) (1824-1858)
4. India Office in London (1858-1867)
5. Colonial Office (1867-1942)

Question 12

What happened to the EIC in 1858?

Answer 12

The EIC was dissolved (closed down)

Question 13

What did Singapore become in 1867?

Answer 13

Singapore became a crown colony.

Question 14

What was the India Office in London for?

Answer 14

It was a British government department established in 1858 to oversee the administration of British India.

Question 15

What was the Colonial Office in London for?

Answer 15

It was the government department in charge of British colonies throughout the world.

Question 15

What did the Singapore government have difficulties with from 1824-1858?

Answer 15

They had difficulty managing the needs of Singapore’s expanding population and the increasing size of Singapore’s trade, and had trouble raising money to pay for better port facilities, security and social services such as education and healthcare.

Question 16

Why was the government unable to impose taxes to raise money?

Answer 16

Traders protested and argued that proposals to tax trade would affect Singapore’s free port status, which would affect their business.

Question 17

How then did the government raise money?

Answer 17

They resorted to taxing gambling, opium and liquor.

Question 18

What people could be granted the right to collect taxes?

Answer 18

Owners of gambling houses, opium shops and liquor shops that could offer the government the largest sum of money.

Question 19

What year was gambling banned?

Answer 19

1829

Question 20

What was the effect of gambling getting banned?

Answer 20

Since the tax on gambling could no longer be collected, it greatly reduced the government’s revenue. Thus, there was insufficient money for improving Singapore and social services.

Question 21

How was the shortage of money solved?

Answer 21

The EIC supplied the Singapore government with money.

Question 22

What happened to the EIC in 1830?

Answer 22

EIC lost its dominant control of trade with China as the British government opened it up to other British traders.

Question 23

What did the conversion of the Straits Settlements into a Crown Colony of Britain allow Singapore to enjoy?

Answer 23

It allowed Singapore to enjoy almost 75 years of peaceful admistration.

Question 23

What caused the EIC to cut costs and refuse to spend more money to improve the Straits Settlements (Singapore is included)?

Answer 23

As the British had lost dominant control of trade with China, the settlements that they founded in Penang and Singapore to protect and promote China was no longer needed and they lost interest in the Straits Settlements. AS EIC was a trading company, they focused on maximizing profits. Since the Straits Settlements was running at a loss, they cut costs and refused to spend more money on SS. They dismissed many officials to reduce their number and cut the pay of those who remained.

Question 23

What is a crown colony?

Answer 23

It is a place or area that is directly ruled by the British government on behalf of the British King or Queen.

Question 24

What is a census?

Answer 24

It is an official count or survey, especially of a population.

Question 25

What happened alongside the influx of migrants and the growth of trade?

Answer 25

Maintaining law and order was a challenge as there were more robberies, murders and other crimes happening.

Question 26

Why was Francis James Bernard not a good fit for his job as the chief police officer?

Answer 26

He had other duties and could not give all of his time to police work.

Question 27

What was the size of the police force in 1820?

Answer 27

It was small.

Question 28

Who pointed out the problem of having a small police force in Singapore?

Answer 28

The European and Asian traders.

Question 29

What did the European and Asian traders talk about in the public meeting?

Answer 29

They talked about the inability of the small police force to maintain law and order.

Question 30

What did the traders do after the meeting?

Answer 30

They wrote a letter to the Governer to ask for a stronger police force and pointed out that the many crimes on the island made their lives and properties feel unsafe.

Question 31

What did Thomas Dunman contribute to the police force during his tenure?

Answer 31

He took good care of the men under him, conducted night classes to teach them how to read and write, he fought for higher wages and better working conditions for the police officers.

Question 32

What usually happened when serious riots broke out?

Answer 32

Thomas Dunman's men tried to manage the situation when serious riots broke out but the rioters usually outnumbered them and the government had to send soldiers to help the police.

Question 32

What are some factors that attracted Chinese migrants to Singapore?

Answer 32

They were drawn by the prospect of work, the opportunity to flee from war, poverty and famine in China.

Question 32

What caused the police force to become stronger and better in quality?

Answer 32

With the use of motor cars, radio systems, telephones, the work of the police force had become more efficient. Officers that had gone through professional training under the police cadet system filled senior posts in the police force. The police force was about 2000 strong.

Question 32

What did Thomas Dunman achieve by the time he retired in 1871?

Answer 32

He reduced gang robberies, improved the quality and morale of the police officers.

Question 33

What reforms to the police force were made after Thomas Dunman's retirement?

Answer 33

A police training school was started in 1881 and a separate detective force was established in 1884.

Question 33

For those migrants that had enough money to pay for their passage from China, what were they free to do?

Answer 33

They were free to take on any job that they found

Question 34

For those who were too poor to pay for their passage, what did they do?

Answer 34

They had to find a coolie-agent, which would pay their passage money.

Question 35

What would the coolies do in return?

Answer 35

They promised to work for any employer who was willing to pay the coolie-agent a sum of money to employ them.

Question 36

How would the coolies pay of the debts they owed their employers?

Answer 36

As the sum of money to employ the coolies was much more than the passage money ( because it included the coolie-agent's fee), the coolies would have to work without pay for a year or more to pay off their debts they owed their employers for paying the coolie agents.

Question 37

What were the coolies given for the whole period of their service?

Answer 37

They were given food and lodging and might be given a small sum of money.

Question 38

What were the coolie-agents' job?

Answer 38

They were responsible for finding coolies to meet the demand in different parts of the world.

Question 39

What did some coolie-agents do to get more money?

Answer 39

As they were often tempted by huge profits, they tried to obtain coolies by any means possible. They would either trick or kidnap the poor Chinese.

Question 40

How was the conditions of the voyage from China?

Answer 40

They were very poor

Question 41

What were the conditions of the voyage from China like?

Answer 41

It was common for hundreds of men to be crammed aboard a junk meant for a fraction of the number. As a result of the overcrowding, lack of food and water, many coolies died during the long voyage.