Falklands Expedition
A map of historic Puerto Soledad.
Date December 28, 1831 – January 22, 1832 Location Port Louis, Falkland Islands, Argentine Confederation Result US attack with success but then they left leaving the Falklands Islands Americans rescued Suspects captured (but were later freed by Duncan) Island evacuated Temporary severing of Argentina–United States relations Indirectly resulted in reassertion of British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands
Belligerents
United States	Argentine Confederation Falklands Islands Command
Commanders and leaders
Silas Duncan Enrique Metealf	Luis Vernet Esteban Mestivier Matthew Brisbane (POW)
Strength
1 sloop	Unknown
Casualties and losses
None	7 captured
38 colonists evacuated

The Falklands Expedition (Spanish: Ataque del USS Lexington a Puerto Soledad) occurred in late 1831 when the United States Navy warship USS Lexington was dispatched to investigate the seizure of three whalers at the settlement of Puerto Luis (contradicting the Monroe Doctrine) founded in the ruins of the former Spanish penal colony of Puerto Soledad by Luis Vernet. Vernet had sought to control sealing in the islands and seized the ships alleging they had violated his regulations controlling sealing in the islands (US sealers did not recognise his authority and had ignored them). Finding one of the ships being outfitted with guns, Captain Duncan had entered of Puerto Soledad on December 28, 1831, under French Flag Captain Duncan invited Vernet's second and who had more authority in the colony at that time, Matthew Brisbane and Enrique Metealf, as an official courtesy visit. He gave the invitation to a lieutenant who had approached in a boat while they were strolling along the beach. They later learned that it was a United States warship arriving to demand reparations for captured schooners.

When they boarded they were arrested. Then, he captured the small schooner Águila, landed his forces and detained those who were considered captors of the American ships, looted the facilities and warehouses, occupied the main buildings, stole the hides, tools and personal belongings of the inhabitants (including suitcases and clothes), disabled the fortifications and artillery defenses, nailed the cannons, destroyed the weapons and burned the gunpowder. He also lowered the Argentine flag^[1]

Seized six of the senior officers in the settlement on charges of piracy. The damage done to the settlement is disputed. Duncan reports spiking the guns of the settlement and a powder store. Vernet was to later claim his settlement was ransacked. The ship sought to recover the kidnapped schooners. The act was supported by the American ambassador in Buenos Aires, who unilaterally declared that the Malvinas were an "area free of any administrative power" (res nullius). On the islands, Duncan declared them this way on January 21, 1832, as a last measure before abandoning Puerto Soledad.

The settlers complained of the conditions they were living in and asserted that Vernet had misled them. Duncan offered passage to the mainland and the majority of settlers chose to leave, leaving behind a small party. In late 1832, Argentine warships challenged American sealers in the area again, prompting the US consul to consider a second punitive expedition with orders to sink the Argentine ship ARA Sarandi. This prompted the British to reassert sovereignty over the islands. Historically, the Argentine government has disputed the rights to the islands with the United Kingdom and it culminated in the Falklands War of 1982.^[2]

Consequences

According to the UK version, US President Andrew Jackson praised Captain Duncan for his actions. Levi Woodbury, the US Secretary of the Navy, wrote to Duncan: "The President of the United States approves the course you pursued, and is very satisfied with the promptitude, firmness, and efficiency of your measures."

Vernet returned to Puerto Soledad, without resources to rebuild the colony and to provide it with the necessary defenses. However he continued planning the reconstruction. He regularly requested that the Buenos Aires government assign him human resources and weapons, but did not receive any formal response. On September 10, 1832, the Ministry of War and Navy appointed by decree the Sergeant Major of Artillery José Francisco Mestivier as interim Civil and Military Commander of the Falklands and its adjacent areas. On November 19, Vernet and his family left the islands forever on the seal schooner Harriet that had been captured from the Americans. Juan Manuel de Rosas had also ordered the sending of a military force, under the command of José María Pinedo with the schooner Sarandí.