The Falkland Islands before 1982
To see why the Falklands islands are so important the history of the islands must be looked at from all nations as they both claim sovereignty to the same
inhabitants.
5 Nations were involved in the formation of the present day Falkland Islands. These were Spain, France, Argentina, Britain and America.
The timeline has to run in three sections so the full effect of the different nations competition for the islands can be seen clearerst
British Ownership
1592– Captain Davis believed he was the first man to discover the islands however did not visit them 1593– Sir Richard Hawkins landed on the islands and named the islands, ‘Hawkins Maiden Land’ 1600– Sebald de Weert spotted the extremities of the islands and named the islands ‘The Sebaldines’ 1690– English Captain John Strong arrived at the Falkland Islands and named the islands after one of their current names “The Falklands Islands” after Viscount Falkland, the then Treasurer of the Navy. 1669– John Narborough was tasked with exploring the South American continent for trading with Britain. 1711– British government charted the South Sea Company to encourage the nations trade beyond Cape Horn, however this project failed miserably. 1713– England and Spain sign a peace treaty which allowed a trade route to exist between Spanish America and Britain. 1739 – England and Spain went to war, this was fought over colonial issues as an attempt by the British to try and remove the might of the Spanish Empire. 1748– The first acknowledgement from the British government that the Falkland Islands should be surveyed with the objective of developing a base near the Cape Horn entrance to the Pacific. These plans were objected to by the Spanish, who had not been fooled and argued against these ideas saying that they were trying to encroach them, sensing the potential dangers, the plans were halted. 1763 – Britain gains interests in the first time for expansion in the Pacific. 1762- Britain captures Manila 1764– Commander John Byron sails to the Falkland islands and lands in Port Egmont, after the Earl of Egmont, the first Lord of the Admiralty. ‘I took possession of this harbour and all these islands for His Majesty the King George the Third of Great Britain and his heirs, tho’ they had been take Possession of by Sir Richard Hawkins in the Year 1593.’ Had these settlers chosen to walk inland a few miles they would have found a thriving French colony known as Fort Saint Louis 1766– First settlement was constructed at Fort St. George, on the Saunders Island. These settlers reported how terrible the islands were. Complaining of the lack of trees to protect from the wind, the bad winters and persistent heavy rain. Julius Goebel Jr. recorded that, ‘Little wonder that these islands should have been the last place of the great discoveries in the West to be settled by Europeans, and that only the love for one’s country or one’s God could persuade men to remain in the face of such unfriendly nature.’ 1768- James Cook exploration of the pacific begins, looking not to explore, but rather to attain a perfect knowledge of the geographical layout of the British Empire. 1768- A twenty five man crew leave Britain to make a inhabitable settlement on the islands. They constructed a fort and two houses. Tensions began to grow between the French, how rightly argued that they had ownership of the islands and had been there for three years. |
French Ownership (Louis Antoine de Bougainville was a soldier and sailor. He had witnessed the collapse of the French colonial empire and was even more devastated at the though of the English becoming the next world superpower. He realised that the best thing to do was not fight nations for areas of land which all nations wanted, but rather to build on disused lands, he personally oversaw plans to colonise the Falkland Islands. Aware that the British had similar aims for the Islands he brought the idea for the king, Louis XV, who applauded and supported the idea but could not provide any financial backing. Louis did however provide the Royal seal the colonists.) 1764- After acquiring funding through his extended family, Bougainville met with three families who had been forced out of their French settlements to British colonial expansions. After providing them with a small amount of money and the promise of land and free transport, Bougainville recorded in his notebook, ‘the foreground eroded by the sea which seems to be forever struggling for supremacy; a country lifeless for want of inhabitants; neither pasturelands nor forests for the encouragement of those who are destined to become the first colonists; a vast silence, broken only by the occasional cry of a sea monster; everywhere a weird and melancholy uniformity’ 1764- Fort St Louis, a 14 canon defensive structure, was built by the French next to a natural harbour. Bougainville constructed a monument to France and her newest colony. On the 5th April 1974 Bougainville took formal possession of the islands in the name of the king. 1765– 53 French citizens travel and settle at the prospering colony at Fort St Louis. Because of tensions between France and Spain about who should have ownership of the Falkland Islands and much to Bougainville’s displeasure the Falkland Islands were given to Spain as an article of good faith. The Spanish reimbursed Bougainville for his efforts and he went on to be the first Frenchman to circumnavigate the world. |
Spanish Ownership 1766– Spain created a government on the Falklands, under Royal order; this government ordered the removal of all non Spanish people from the islands. Spain was very aware of the importance of the Falkland Islands as a resupplying base in the South Atlantic. They were aware of the British settler s that the French had avoided and planned to remove them. 1767- Spain takes control of the Falklands on 1st April succeeding the white flag of France. 1770– 5 Spanish ships holding 1600 men landed on areas of the islands that housed British people. Before long the defenders surrendered and were escorted back to Britain. This was received as an outrage by the British public. Britain demanded payment from the Spanish for the attack, and that the British citizens are allowed to return to the Falkland Islands. These demands were met by the Spanish; however the Spanish claim to the islands remained unchallenged. Britain was recognised by the Spanish as owning Port Egmont. 1771– Britain introduces a permanent navy, docked at Port Egmont. 1774– The British government suddenly pulled all men and supplies from the islands, to the delight of all military present, except the commandant, who was concerned for the state of the colonies gardens which he personally oversaw and did not wish to leave. 1780– Spanish forces destroyed the remnants of Port Egmont, which had been abandoned for 6 years. Anglo – Spanish ownership 1807– British government decides to focus on trade rather than territorial expansion after the British army was defeated by groups fighting for independence from colonial rule. 1812– Revolutionary Wars Spanish colonies overthrew their colonial masters and gained independence (except Cuba) Britain used the islands “neutral ports” as bait for pirate ships. Britain placed so many ships in the area that they were able to intimidate the Spanish. Rise of Argentina 1816- Argentina appeared on the world stage in 1816 and had to fight very hard to establish independence from France and Spain. (Finally recognised as independent in 1829) 1816- Britain was now looking to secure her empire from future attack. 1825- First Anglo Argentine treaty is agreed concerning the slave trade and states that Britain recognises Argentina as a power in their own right. 1830– Argentina assembled an invasion force and took formal possession of the islands. This declaration was read under Argentinean colours and with a select British audience present. 1833– Britain invaded the Falklands Islands, holding them until the 1982 conflict. |