Chapter 5 Revision Questions

How did the Great Depression affect the growth and prosperity of Singapore? Explain your answer. (6 marks)


TIP:


This question requires you to define the Great Depression and explore the ways in which Singapore's growth (business/trade/jobs) and prosperity (wealth/revenue/welfare) was affected.


Suggested Answer:

The Great Depression happened in the 1920s in America. During that time, the stock market collapsed and resulted in many people falling into debts. Hence many people became bankrupt and lost their jobs. Many businesses closed down and resulted in widespread unemployment. This meant that people were unwilling to spend and this in turn resulted in low demand for manufactured goods. As a result, America and European countries demanded less of good from the east, for example, rubber, tin, spices and other exotic products.

Singapore depended on entrepot trade for its growth and prosperity. This meant that Singapore earned much of its revenue by importing and exporting products. With less demand for goods found in the east by the European countries, it meant that the volume/quantity of goods coming into Singapore was reduced. This meant that the traders would be earning less from this entrepot trade. As such, Singapore lost its vital source of revenue from this trade and hence affected the welfare of the people. (prosperity)

With less trade, Singapore’s growth was also affected. Less traders coming into Singapore to trade meant that less coolies were needed to help unload/load the goods. This resulted in many coolies being sent back to their homeland. With less coolies, there was thus less demand for hawkers, barbers, letter writers etc and hence many different occupations lost their jobs. With widespread unemployment, Singapore’s growth was hampered.

RELIABILITY OF SOURCES

Reliability of sources questions the consistency and dependability of the source in providing accurate evidence of the past. Hence the question requires you to provide a conclusion as to whether the source is indeed accurate as evidence pertaining to the topic in question. However, you should provide a balance account, taking into consideration what is said in the source and what you know from contextual knowledge.(your own knowledge)

Approach to ‘reliability’ questions

Step 1: Read given source. Studying/Examining photos/pictures
Step 2: Infer. What does it mean? What is the source telling you?
Step 3: Evaluate purpose of source.
Is the writer trying to make you believe something?
Or is he giving you unbiased information?
Step 4: Evaluate situation given in source.
What else is happening at the time that might affect this source?
Why does the writer give you that message at that time?
Step 5: Check using the 5 ‘w’.
Who wrote it?
When was it written?
Why was it written?
For whom was it written?

What does my contextual knowledge say about this source? Match your knowledge with source. Corroborates? Or not?

Read Source B. Is Source B an accurate depiction of the British system of government in early Singapore? Explain your answer. (5m)

Source B

A British official account of the system of government in Singapore, 1819 – 1850

The system of government works well and smoothly. The best men we can get and those who represent the people the most, are nominated to seats. Their opinions are highly respected on all questions which they are familiar with. They closely watch and ably (skillfully or well) criticize the measures of the government.

Adapted from Honourable Intentions: Talks on the British Empire in Southeast Asia delivered at the Royal Colonial Institute, 1874 – 1928. Edited by Paul Kratoska, 1983

Sample Answer

From Source B, the British system of government works well and smoothly. The government was made up of the best men who represented the people most, their opinions highly respected on all questions which they are familiar with. This suggests that the author is trying to tell us that the British government was well organized, efficient and effective and that the officials understood the needs of the people.

Source B also tells us that the officials closely watch and ably criticize the measures of the government. This meant that the author was telling us that they gave feedback to the government to improve the system.

Most importantly, the British official who wrote this account thinks highly of his government. (step 1 and 2 – inferences from evidence)

Source B is not an accurate depiction of the British system of government in the early years. The writer is trying to make us believe that the British system of government is run efficiently and effectively. The writer is also giving us bias information as he himself is a British official and would not defame his own government. Hence he would only show us that the government only has good points, even if they might not be true. (step 3) purpose of writing the source

In addition, during early years of Singapore, the British neglected the welfare of the people. There was a high crime rate and locals were treated differently from the Europeans. The author probably wrote it to try to justify to the other officials that the government was doing a good job in the governing of Singapore. (step 4 – actual situation)

Hence Source B is not an accurate depiction of the British system of government of Singapore in the early years because the source only mentions how efficiently the government ran Singapore when in fact, there were many bad points of the government such as the discrimination of other races, no money given to other schools except English and Malay schools and the abuses of the coolies which is the total opposite of what the source has mentioned. (more examples of step 4)

Levels of Response Marking (LORMS)

Level 1 Lifting information from source, no explanation and did not answer question (1)

Level 2 Make attempts to make a judgement based on evidence and inferences (2-3)

Level 3 Make judgement with good inference and with reference to purpose of source and contextual knowledge (4-5)