ABSTRACT
Britain acquired Penang in 1786, Singapore in 1819, and Malacca in 1824, and had them confirmed by the Dutch as British colonies under the AngloDutch Treaty of 1824. In 1826, these three colonies were incorporated to form the Straits Settlements, and Singapore became the seat of the government in 1832.1 By the mid-nineteenth century the British had come to recognise the Straits Settlements not only as ports of call for the trade route from India to China, but also as transit ports for Southeast Asian produce.
