History of the Falkland Islands

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The Falkland Islands were uninhabited when discovered by Europeans, but recent discoveries of arrowheads in Lafonia (on the southern half of East Falkland) as well as the remains of a wooden canoe provide strong evidence that they had been visited previously, most likely by the Yaghan people of Tierra del Fuego. It has also been suggested that the Falkland Island foxes, or warrahs, found on the islands were introduced by the Yaghans or another Amerindian tribe, bearing as they did a resemblance to the culpeo or Fuegian fox. The contention is that it was physically impossible for the Warrah to swim the full distance to the Falklands from Patagonia. What is undisputed however, is that a number of Yahgans were transported to Keppel Island as part of a missionary settlement in the 19th century.

1 Discovery
2 Colonisation
3 Twentieth century
- 3.1 Falklands War
4 Post-war
5 Timeline
6 External links

[edit] Discovery

An archipelago in the region of the Falkland Islands appeared on maps from the early 16th century, suggesting they may have been sighted by Ferdinand Magellan's or another expedition of the 1500s. Amerigo Vespucci is believed to have sighted the islands in 1502, but did not name them. Both explorers were in Spanish service. In 1519 or 1520, Esteban Gómez of the "San Antonio", one of the captains in the expedition of Magellan, deserted this enterprise and encountered several islands, which members of his crew called "Islas de Sansón y de los Patos" ("Islands of Samson and the Ducks"). Although these islands were probably the Jason Islands, a group northwest of West Falkland, the names "Islas de Sansón" (or "San Antón," "San Son," and "Ascensión") were used for the Falklands on Spanish maps during this period.

When English explorer John Davis, commander of the "Desire", one of the ships belonging to Thomas Cavendish's second expedition to the New World, separated from Cavendish off the coast of what is now southern Argentina, he decided to make for the Strait of Magellan in order to find Cavendish. On August 9, 1592 a severe storm battered his ship, and Davis drifted under bare masts, taking refuge "among certain Isles never before discovered." Consequently, for a time the Falklands were known as "Davis Land" or "Davis' Land."

In 1594, they were visited by English commander Richard Hawkins, who, combining his own name with that of Queen Elizabeth I, the "Virgin Queen," gave the islands the name of "Hawkins' Maidenland."

In 1600, Sebald de Weert, a Dutchman, visited them and called them the Sebald Islands (in Spanish, "Islas Sebaldinas" or "Sebaldes"), a name which they bore on some Dutch maps into the 19th century.

English Captain John Strong sailed between the two principal islands in 1690 and called the passage "Falkland Channel" (now Falkland Sound), after Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount Falkland (1659-1694), who as Commissioner of the Admiralty had financed the expedition and later became First Lord of the Admiralty. From this body of water the island group later took its collective name.

[edit] Colonisation

The islands were first settled by France, in 1764, when she established a colony at Port Louis, on East Falkland's Berkeley Sound coast. The French name Îles Malouines was given to the islands — malouin being the adjective for the Breton port of Saint-Malo. The Spanish name Islas Malvinas is a translation of the French denomination.

In 1765, Capt. John Byron, who was unaware of the French in the east, explored Saunders Island, in the west, named the harbor Port Egmont, and claimed this and other islands for Britain on the ground of prior discovery. The next year Captain John McBride established a British settlement on Port Egmont. These events were nearly the cause of a war between Britain and Spain, both countries having armed fleets to contest the barren but strategically important sovereignty. In 1766 France agreed to leave, Spain agreeing to reimburse de Bougainville for his expenditures. The Spaniards assumed control in 1767, and re-named Port Louis as Port Soledad. Meanwhile, the British presence in the west continued, until interrupted from July, 1770 to January 22, 1771 by Spain. Like the Mascarene Islands but without their intrinsic resources, the island group was well placed as a base for pirate and privateer raids. Britain voluntarily abandoned her colony in 1774, while leaving a plaque asserting her continuing sovereignty over the islands; But henceforward Spain ruled these uncontestedly from Buenos Aires until 1811. On her withdrawal, like Britain earlier, Spain also left behind a plaque with her claims of sovereignty. The Islands were left uninhabited.

Halfpenny postage stamp, issued 1891

Argentina claimed the group at its independence in 1816, and began settlement activity in 1820. In 1823, Argentina granted fishing rights to Jorge Pacheco and Luis Vernet, who finally succeeded on establishing a permanent settlement three years later. On June 10, 1829, Argentina formally designated Luis Vernet as Governor of the Islands. Vernet was also granted a monopoly on seal hunting rights, which led him to capture the American ships "Harriet", "Superior" and "Breakwater".

As a reprisal, the United States sent Captain Silas Duncan of the USS Lexington to recover the confiscated property. After finding what he considered proof that at least four American fishing ships had been captured, plundered, and even outfitted for war, Duncan took seven prisoners onboard Lexington and charged them with piracy.

Also taken on board, Duncan reported, "were the whole of the (Falklands') population consisting of about forty persons, with the exception of some gauchos, or cowboys who were encamped in the interior." The group, principally German citizens from Buenos Aires, "appeared greatly rejoiced at the opportunity thus presented of removing with their families from a desolate region where the climate is always cold and cheerless and the soil extremely unproductive".

Vernet's and Brisbane's capture caused quite a stir among government officials in Buenos Aries, and a long dispute between U.S. and Argentine diplomats followed.

Afterwards, Major Esteban Mestivier was commissioned by the Buenos Aires government, as the new Governor of the Islands, to set up a penal colony. He arrived at his destination on November 15, 1832 but, unfortunately, his soldiers mutinied and killed him. Lt. Col. José María Pinedo quelled the rebellion and took charge as Governor.

These events provided the spur for Britain to finally and permanently return to the islands, (See 1833 invasion of the Falkland Islands), removing Argentine settlers on 3 January 1833 and refounding Port Louis as a naval garrison and civilian settlement. An interesting episode for those investigating the sovereignty claims is the true story of "El Gaucho Rivero". In August 1833 Antonio Rivero was involved in an incident where a number of important figures on the islands were murdered. Rivero was taken to London to be judged, however when the case came before the High Court it was dismissed because the court felt that the British Crown had no authority over the islands at this time, and Rivero was returned to Argentina.

Work on Stanley started in 1843 and it became the capital of the islands in 1845.

[edit] Twentieth century

Their strategic significance was confirmed by the second major naval engagement of the First World War. Admiral Graf Maximilian von Spee's East Asia Cruiser Squadron called at the islands on their trip from the Pacific Ocean back to Germany intending to destroy the Royal Navy radio relay station and coaling depot there. Unknown to Spee, a British squadron, including two battlecruisers considerably more powerful than his forces had been sent to hunt down his squadron and happened to be in the harbour coaling. In the one-sided battle which followed, most of Spee's squadron was sunk.

[edit] Falklands War

Main articles: 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands and Falklands War

Argentina invaded the islands on 2 April 1982. The British responded with an expeditionary force that landed seven weeks later and after fierce fighting forced the Argentine garrison to surrender on 14 June 1982.

[edit] Post-war

Following the war, Britain increased its military presence on the islands and invested heavily in improving facilities in Stanley and transportation around the islands, tarmacking many roads. The population has risen, due to the growth of Stanley, but has declined in camp (the countryside).

The late 20th century, and early 21st have seen a change in the Falklands' economic prospects. Gold, oil and diamonds have all been found on, or near the islands, and the islands also sell fishing licences to various foreign interests.

[edit] Timeline

1504: Amerigo Vespucci (Florence/Spain)
1520: Esteban Gómez (Spain)
1540: Ferdinand Camargo (Spain)
1592: John Davis (England)
1593: Richard Hawkins (England)
1600: Sebald de Weert (Netherlands)
1684: Cowley & Dampier (England) discovered Pepys Island, renamed South Georgia by James Cook in 1775.
1690: John Strong (England) landed, and named the sound and eventually the entire island group after Viscount Falkland, Admiralty Commissioner
1701: Gouin de Beauchesne (France)
1708: Roger Woodes (Great Britain)
1713: Treaty of Utrecht between Spain, France and Great Britain may have recognized Spanish sovereignty over the islands
1740: George Anson (Great Britain)
1764: Louis de Bougainville (France) founded a naval base at Port Louis, East Falkland. The French named them the Îles Malouines, so-called from when the islands were briefly occupied by fishermen from St Malo. Many of the settlers were Acadians left homeless by the Great Expulsion in Nova Scotia.
1765: Ignorant of de Bougainville's presence, John Byron (Great Britain) claims Saunders and other islands for Britain. Britain builds a settlement on Saunders the following year.
1766: France and Spain reach agreement: French forces are to leave, and Spain agrees to pay for the installations built by de Bougainville.
1770: Spain declared war on Great Britain in a fight over the islands.
1771: That dispute was settled, with Spain retaining Puerto Soledad and Great Britain Port Egmont. The Spanish claimed that a secret agreement was reached assuring continuing Spanish sovereignty over the islands, but this was denied by the British.
1774: The British abandoned the islands but left behind a plaque re-asserting British dominion.
1776: Spain ruled the islands as part of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata after 1776.
1790: Nootka Convention. Britain conceded Spanish sovereignty over all Spain's traditional territories in the Americas. Whether or not the islands were included is disputed.

Falkland Islands from Space

1811: Spain abandoned the islands but left behind a plaque re-asserting Spanish dominion. The islands became uninhabited.
1816: The United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, later called Argentina, claimed independence from Spain.
1820: The Argentine frigate, the Heroina, was sent to the islands to take possession of them.
1825: The United Kingdom recognized Argentina's independence from Spain.
1826: The Argentine settlement was established.
1829: Argentina named Luis Vernet as the islands' governor. Britain protested. After a dispute over fishing rights with a United States vessel, the Argentine authorities arrested and detained the vessel's captain. The US responded by shelling the islands, destroying the settlement, and repatriating most of the settlers.
1833: The United Kingdom took over the islands again and repatriated the Argentines, but Argentina maintained its claim. (See 1833 invasion of the Falkland Islands.)
December 1965: United Nations Resolution 2065 called upon Britain and Argentina to "proceed without delay with negotiations [...] with a view to finding a peaceful solution to the problem [...] bearing in mind [...] the interests of the population of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas)."
1982: Various tensions, but mainly the desire of the Argentine military junta to distract attention from domestic economic and political ills, led to an Argentine invasion. The islands were later retaken by the UK. (See Falklands War.)
November 1982: The United Nations General Assembly called on the UK and Argentina to resume sovereignty negotiations, but the UK opposes this.