Falklands Expedition
| Falklands Expedition | |
|---|---|
 A map of historic Puerto Soledad. | |
| Objective | Investigate reports of piracy |
| Date | December 1831 |
| Executed by |  United States |
| Outcome | Destruction of civil colony by United States Navy |
The Falklands Expedition occurred in late 1831 when the United States Navy warship USS Lexington was dispatched to investigate the plunder of two whalers at the small Argentine colony of Puerto Soledad. According to United States Navy, American forces supposedly discovered that the settlers were suffering from famine so they were evacuated in the Lexington to the mainland. The Argentine colony was then abandoned which left the islands unsettled and open for British acquisition. Historically, the Argentine government has disputed the rights to the islands with the United Kingdom and it culminated in the Falklands War of 1982.[1]
The attack of the USS Lexington to Puerto Soledad, also known as Lexington Incident, took place on December 31, 1831, when Silas Duncan, captain of the US Navy, landed on the establishment of Puerto Soledad, in the Islas Malvinas (Falklands Islands for the British) under administration of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, now Argentina. After reducing the authorities, sacked the government offices and private homes, irreparably destroying the colony, and violating the Monroe Doctrine for the first time in history.
The Lexington Incident took great historical importance because the process then culminated with the British occupation of the islands. After the attack, from 1832 to 1843, the two countries did not maintain formal diplomatic relations.
See also
- Brazil Squadron
- Capture of Port Egmont
- Reassertion of British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (1833)