Chapter 3: Think like a Historian - Causation (Part 2)

Question 1

Can there be more than one cause to an event?

Answer 1

Yes

Question 2

Can all events have more than one cause?

Answer 2

Yes. No event in history is brought about by a single / one cause.

Question 3

Why did people migrate to Singapore during the 19th and the early 20th centuries?

Answer 3

1. Poverty and starvation in the immigrant’s homeland.
2. Unrest and instability in the immigrant’s homeland.
3. Better trade and business opportunities in Singapore.
4. Better job prospects in Singapore.

Question 4

How can we classify the multiple causes of immigration to Singapore?

Answer 4

Based on their similarities because doing so may help us to better understand the causes of the event.

Question 5

What is one way of classifying the causes of the immigration of people to Singapore in the 19th and the 20th centuries?

Answer 5

By categorizing / classifying / arranging / grouping the causes into ‘push’ or ‘pull’ factors.

Question 6

What are ‘push’ factors?

Answer 6

Push factors are the conditions / circumstances that motivate people to settle elsewhere.

Question 7

What are ‘pull’ factors?

Answer 7

Pull factors are the conditions that attract people to move to a new place.

Question 8

What were the push factors that led to people emigrating to Singapore during the 19th and the early 20th centuries?

Answer 8

1. Poverty and starvation in the immigrant’s homeland.

2. Unrest and instability in the immigrant’s homeland.

Question 9

What were the pull factors that led to people emigrating to Singapore during the 19th and early 20th centuries?

Answer 9

1. Better trade and business opportunities in Singapore

2. Better job prospects in Singapore.