Reassertion of British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (1833)
In December 1832, the United Kingdom sent two naval vessels to re-assert British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Spanish: Islas Malvinas), after the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (part of which later became Argentina) ignored British diplomatic protests over the appointment of Luis Vernet as governor of the Falkland Islands and a dispute over fishing rights. == Background == === Early settlements === In 1765, Captain John Byron was searching for the mythical Pepys Island.