1833 invasion of the Falkland Islands

From Freepedia

The United Kingdom mounted an invasion of the Falkland Islands on January 2, 1833, after the destruction of the Argentine Puerto Soledad settlement by the American corvette Lexington (December 28, 1831). This incident served the Foreign Office to reassert its sovereignty claim over the islands.

Under the command of Captain James Onslow, the HMS Clio, previously stationed at Rio de Janeiro, reached Port Egmont on December 20, 1832. It was later joined by HMS Thyne.

Onslow arrived at Puerto Soledad on January 2, 1833. Lt. Col. José María Pinedo, commander of the Argentine schooner Sarandí, who was in charge of the settlement, sent an officer to the British ship. He was presented a written request to replace the Argentine flag with the British one, and leave the location. Pinedo entertained plans for resisting the invasion, but finally desisted because of his obvious numerical inferiority and the want of enough nationals among his crew. The British forces disembarked at 9 am of January 3 and promptly switched the flags, delivering the Argentine one to Pinedo, who left on January 5.

The United Kingdom has held the territory ever since, but for a two months period after the 1982 invasion, during the Falklands War.

The events of the invasion took place 24 years after the last British invasions in Río de la Plata, when the British Crown attempted to take control of Buenos Aires and thus, over the Viceroyalty of the River Plate.