President Donald Trump’s renewed interest in acquiring Greenland has brought renewed attention to a lesser-known pattern in American foreign policy, highlighting repeated US efforts to purchase the vast Arctic territory from Denmark. These initiatives, stretching from the 19th century to the early Cold War era, reflect Washington’s long-standing strategic interest in the Arctic, even though none of the attempts ultimately succeeded.

The first discussions surfaced soon after the United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867. Officials serving under Secretary of State William Seward explored the possibility of expanding American influence further into the Arctic by acquiring Greenland. Seward believed the island held significant economic promise due to its natural resources, including coal. However, the idea stalled before becoming a formal proposal, largely because Congress showed little appetite for another costly and politically sensitive territorial acquisition.

A second effort emerged during the presidency of William Howard Taft in the early 20th century. American diplomats considered a complex land-exchange arrangement that would have transferred Greenland to US control in return for territorial or political concessions elsewhere. Denmark rejected the proposal outright, viewing Greenland as integral to its sovereignty. Without diplomatic backing from Copenhagen, the initiative quickly lost momentum.

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The most concrete attempt came in 1946, at the beginning of the Cold War, under President Harry Truman. His administration formally offered Denmark $100 million in gold to purchase Greenland, emphasizing its growing military importance in the post-war security environment. During World War II, the United States had built airfields on the island that played a critical role in refuelling aircraft traveling between North America and Europe, underscoring Greenland’s strategic value.

Denmark again declined the offer, but the United States retained limited military access to the territory. That arrangement continues today through the Pituffik Space Base, the US Department of Defense’s northernmost installation. The enduring American presence highlights Greenland’s lasting significance in US defence planning and explains why the idea of acquiring the island has repeatedly resurfaced in American strategic thinking.

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