HOw and why did the United kingdom ever come to own the Falkland islands?

Answer 1

The Falkland Islands were first sighted by English navigator John Davis of 'Desire' in 1592. They were then identified by another English navigator Sir Richard Hawkins in 1594 who named them 'Hawkins Maydenlande' after himself and Queen Elizabeth. In 1598 Dutch navigator Sebalde de Weert of 'Geloof' named them 'the Sebaldes'.

In 1684 British explorers John Cook, William Dampier and Ambrose Cowley reached the Falkland Islands in 'Bachelor's Delight'. William Dampier subsequently published accurate bearings for the Islands. Ambrose Cowley published a different version which gave rise to the legend of 'Pepys Island' named after Samuel Pepys, the famous diarist and Secretary to the Admiralty. In 1696 William Dampier returned to circumnavigate the Islands.

The first recorded landing on the Falkland Islands occurred in 1690, and was made at Bold Cove near Port Howard on West Falkland to replenish the water supplies of British ship 'Welfare' commanded by John Strong, who named the stretch of water between West and East Falkland 'Falkland Sound' after Lord Falkland, who was a financial supporter of Strong's voyage, Treasurer to the Navy and shortly to become First Lord of the Admiralty.

In 1701 Frenchman Jacques Gouin de Beauchesne discovered and named Beauchene Island, the most southerly island in the Falklands archipelago. The name 'Falkland's Land' was given to the whole archipelago in 1708 by Captain Woode Rogers, an English privateer who was later made Governor of Jamaica. Rogers sailed round the Islands in his two ships 'The Duke of Bristol' and 'The Duchess of Bristol' but owing to the wind he was unable to land.

In 1740 Lord Anson visited the Falkland Islands and recommended to the British Government that they be used as a base for further exploration of the Pacific Ocean. He drew up a plan to explore the Islands and surrounding seas in the hope of discovering the (mythical) Pepys Island.

The first settlement in the Falkland Islands was established in February 1764 by a French nobleman, Antoine Louise de Bougainville, who named the Islands 'Isles Malouines' after St. Malo, the port from which the expedition set out. Bougainville dreamt of founding a new colony for the Acadians who had been expelled from Canada to St. Malo. He chose the Falkland Islands because he believed their remote location would protect the colonists from harassment. His expedition was supported by the French Foreign Secretary, the Duc de Choiseul, after whom Bougainville named Choiseul Sound in East Falkland.

In 1766 Political expediency forced the French to accede to Spanish demands that France abandon the colony, which the Spanish claimed contravened both the papal bull of 1494 and the recently signed 'Family Pact'. Bougainville was instructed to sign away the colony in return for £25,000 and reimbursement of the expenses which he had incurred in setting it up. The formal act of cession was carried out at Fort St. Louis (renamed Port Soledad or Port Solitude by the Spanish) on 1 April 1767 in the presence of Bougainville and a small contingent of Spanish settlers lead by the new Governor of 'Islas Malvinas' Don Felipe Ruiz Puente.

Meanwhile on 12 January 1765 a British exploratory expedition, consisting of the ships 'Dolphin', 'Tamar' and 'Florida' under the command of Commodore John Byron (grandfather of the poet), reached the Falkland Islands. After a vain search for Pepys Island, Byron concluded that no such place existed at the latitude and longitude laid down by Ambrose Cowley. The expedition anchored at what became known as Port Egmont on Saunders Island. A landing was made on 25 January 1765 and the Falkland Islands were formally claimed for the Crown of Great Britain. A watering-place and vegetable garden were established at Port Egmont.

In September 1765 a further British expedition, consisting of the ships 'Jason', 'Carcass' and 'Experiment' under the command of Captain John McBride set sail to establish a permanent settlement. Their instructions were precise: any lawless person found on the Islands was to leave or take oath of allegiance to the British Crown. Should any foreign settlement be discovered the inhabitants were to be informed that the Islands belonged to Great Britain, and given six months within which to leave.

On 4 December 1766 McBride discovered Fort St. Louis and informed the French commander de Nerville that the British had had a colony at Port Egmont since January 1765. Both men reiterated their countries claims to sovereignty but McBride and his officers had an enjoyable visit to Fort St. Louis.

In 1769 British and Spanish ships met whilst undertaking survey work. Each vessel regarded the other as being there unlawfully, and letters to this effect were exchanged. In early 1770 Spanish commander Don Juan Ignacio de Madariaga visited Port Egmont. He exchanged letters with Captain Hunt, officer in charge of the British garrison, in which each reiterated their country's claim to sovereignty over the Falkland Islands. On 14 July 1770 Don Madariaga returned to Port Egmont with a much larger contingent of 5 Spanish warships carrying over 1,000 men, and forced the British to leave Port Egmont. On 22 January 1771, after the British threatened to declare war on Spain, the Spanish agreed to the British reinstatement. A British expedition comprising 'Juno' under the command of Captain Stott, 'Hound' and 'Florida' arrived at Port Egmont on 13 September 1771. A Spanish officer arrived from Port Soledad and on 15 September 1771 Captain Stott formally took repossession.

In 1774 Britain decided for reasons of economy to withdraw almost all its overseas garrisons, and on 20 May 1776 the British forces under the command of Lt. Clayton formally took their leave of Port Egmont, which had grown to be a valuable naval asset, sheltering and resupplying British ships rounding Cape Horn.

The Spanish establishment at Port Soledad was a military post with the addition in later years of a convict settlement. The Spanish did not make any serious attempt to explore the interior of the Islands (although they did survey the coastline) nor to continue the French colonising venture (although they did import more cattle from Montevideo). The last Spanish Governor Don Juan Crisostomo Martinez was withdrawn from the settlement at Port Soledad in 1806, leaving behind him a plaque stating the Spanish claim to sovereignty of 'Islas Malvinas'.

In 1820 Argentina claimed sovereignty over 'Islas Malvinas'. claiming right of succession to Spain and relying on the papal bull of 1493 and the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas. The Argentine government employed American Daniel Jewitt of 'Heroina' to take possession of the Islands and assert Argentine sovereignty against the many sealing and whaling vessels of various nationalities which were using the Islands as a base for their activities.

In December 1832 the British returned to the Falkland Islands, concerned by the unlawful activities of the Americans and by the Argentine assertions of sovereignty. On 20 December 1832 they posted a notice of possession at Port Egmont, and on 2 January 1833 they arrived at Port Louis. They found 20 settlers of various nationalities living in squalid conditions, while American, British and French sealing vessels took advantage of the absence of authority. The British commander, Captain Onslow of 'Clio' gave Don Pinedo written notice that he should remove the Argentine flag and depart immediately, as the next day the British would be exercising their rights and raising the British flag. Don Pinedo refused to comply, and on the following day the Argentine flag was removed by the British and handed to him. He and his men were forced to withdraw from the Islands.

In 1839 a British merchant adventurer, G.T. Whittington, formed the Falkland Islands Commercial Fishery and Agricultural Association and tried to put pressure on the British government to proceed with the colonisation of the Falkland Islands. He published a leaflet entitled 'The Falkland Islands' containing material acquired indirectly from Vernet, and then presented to the government a petition signed by owner a hundred London merchants, shipowners and traders demanding that a public meeting be held to discuss the future of the Falkland Islands. In April 1840 he wrote to the Colonial Secretary, Lord Russell, proposing that the Islands be colonised by his Association. In May the Colonial Land and Emigration Commissioners decided that the Falkland Islands were suitable for colonisation.

The first Governor of the Islands, Lt. Richard Moody, arrived in October 1841 aboard 'Hebe' together with twelve Sappers and Miners with their families. By now the Anson's Harbour colony numbered some 50 persons. In 1842 Lord Stanley, the British Secretary of State for the Colonies, instructed Governor Moody to investigate the potential of the Port William area as the site of a new town. Governor Moody tasked Captain Ross, leader of the Antarctic Expedition, with carrying out the survey work. In 1843 Captain Ross concluded that Port William would make a good deep-water anchorage for naval vessels, and that the shores of 'Port Jackson' to the south would be a suitable place to build a settlement as it had shelter, fresh water, a plentiful supply of peat and a natural harbour.

Building work commenced in July 1843 and on 18 July 1845 at Governor Moody's suggestion the new capital was officially named Port Stanley after the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Edward Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby. In 1845 the structure of Colonial government was created with the establishment of Legislative Council and Executive Council, and in 1846 office holders were appointed to those posts.

A century of colonisation and economic development followed. The Falkland Islands' Dependencies, comprising South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands, South Orkney Islands, South Shetland Islands and Graham Land were established in 1908. (On 3 March 1962 the latter three became part of the newly defined British Antarctic Territory and on 3 October 1985 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands became a separate British Overseas Territory.) In 1912 the Falkland Islands Government established a civil administration at King Edward Point, consisting of a magistrate, customs office, radio station, Met Station and Post Office, to supervise the activities at the various whaling stations around South Georgia.

In 1960 the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed in resolution 1514 "the necessity of bringing to a speedy and unconditional end colonialism in all its forms and manifestations." The resolution recalled the right of all peoples to self-determination, but also stated its conviction that all peoples have "an inalienable right to complete freedom, the exercise of their sovereignty and the integrity of their national territory." Argentina claimed that the British administration of the Islands was an affront to their territorial integrity, and in 1964 they raised the future of the Falkland Islands at the United Nations Committee on Decolonisation (also known as the Committee of 24).

The Argentine claim to the Islands rested on the papal bull of 1493 as modified by the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas, by which Spain and Portugal had divided the New World between themselves; on their title in succession to the early Spanish and French colonists; on the Islands' proximity to South America; and on the need to end a colonial situation. The British claim to the Islands rested on the 1690 landing; on its open, continuous and effective possession, occupation and administration of the Islands since 1833; and on its determination to grant the Falkland Islanders the right to self-determination as recognised in the United Nations Charter. The Islanders asserted their wish to remain British, pointing out that their history, language and way of life was bound up with Britain. Far from ending a colonial situation, Argentine control of the Islands would create a colony, in direct contravention of the efforts of the United Nations to end colonialisation.

The rest, as they say, is history!

Answer 2

The Falkland Islands were first sighted by an Englishman John Davis in 1592 and the first reported landing was by captain John Strong in 1690.After that the Islands change hands a number of times.In 1833 the British invaded the Islands which had been attacked and cleared of Argentinian settlers by the Americans for their own reasons.The British had a claim on the Islands and used took the opportunity to establish that claim there them followed British rule until the Falklands war when the Argentinians invaded and were repulsed.

Answer 3

Same way everything else was. There were originally explorers who found it, so people then knew the existence of it. The UK used to have a massive empire... the biggest in history. During this having a little place like the Falklands wasn't a big deal.

However, Argentina, being close by, always thought Falklands belonged to it.

After World War II, whilst Britain was weak from the war Argentina thought it'd decide to try and take it. However Britain couldn't afford to lose yet another colony. They fought for it and won. This showed the world that The UK, even after losing a lot if its power and being weakened, could hold its own. Also, The Falkland Islands were useful for their resources and such.

Answer 4

The most important reason is that at the moment the people of the Falklands want to remain under British rule. That is unlikely to change if the Argentinians keep making threat, trying to impose sanctions, and generally making thins difficult for the islanders. If instead they tried being good, friendly, supportive, helpful neighbours, in a couple of generations people in the islands might decide they would be better of being part of their nice friendly neighbour, Argentina, rather than keeping up links half-way round the world. Time is a healer - but not if you keep picking at the scabs.

Answer 5

The Islands have had disputed ownership ever since they were first discovered. The first sailors to find them were dutch, the first to build a settlement on them were french, they were named Falklands after the english Viscount Falkland who sponsored an expedition in 1690. The islands had Spanish and British had settlements at various times which were later abandoned. Argentina continued the Spanish claim to the islands after her own independence from Spain. The UK took them back by force from Argentina in 1833, after the US had destroyed the Argentinian settlement. So they are genuinely a bit of a legal and historical muddle.

Answer 6

Cause the majority rules and the majority in the Falkland Islands are hale hearty English Sheep. Baa Baa - - - may the Falklands Forever be English......

Pax---------------------

Answer 7

They got it from Spain in a peace treaty. All perfectly legal.