Robert Gamer: Author & Activist

Things did not end well for the Vikings who established settlements in Greenland. Known as the Graenlendingar, they arrived in 986 A.D. At their peak, the settlers numbered around 5,000. However, they made a fatal miscalculation: they disregarded the survival techniques of the native Inuit. When their livestock perished, so did they.

What happened to the Vikings has apparently not influenced former President Donald Trump, who recently proposed either purchasing Greenland or acquiring it by other means. In fact, this would not be the first time the United States has sought to buy territory. Alaska, the Louisiana Purchase, and the U.S. Virgin Islands were all acquired through monetary deals. Moreover, Trump is not the first president to express interest in Greenland. In 1946, President Harry Truman offered Denmark $100 million in gold for the territory, an offer that was declined. Since then, Greenland, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, has been granted home rule.

Economic interests have historically driven U.S. territorial acquisitions, including Alaska, Louisiana, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This motivation also influenced the Great White Fleet’s voyage through the Pacific, a demonstration of American naval power under President Theodore Roosevelt. The intent was clear: to assert U.S. dominance and economic ambitions. In the Philippines, for instance, U.S. Marines brutally suppressed Filipino resistance, with some committing war crimes in the process. Other territories, including American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico, became U.S. possessions.

The Panama Canal remained under American control from 1903 to 1979, serving as a key asset for U.S. economic and military interests. After aiding in Spain’s ouster from Cuba, the U.S. took control of the island’s economy. American corporations, such as the Cuban American Sugar Company and Hershey, established operations there, while the American Mafia later dominated Havana’s gambling industry. Similarly, during the Boxer Rebellion in China, an international force, including 2,000 American soldiers, was dispatched to crush resistance against Western imperialism.

If the U.S. pursues Greenland as a possession, history suggests this would be yet another chapter in American imperialism. Imperialism involves extending power and influence through territorial acquisition, economic control, and military intervention. Should Greenland reject a U.S. offer, Trump has suggested the possibility of military action and has even threatened tariffs as leverage. The U.S. already has a military presence in Greenland, a location of strategic importance since the Cold War. But how do the Greenlanders feel? Their stance is clear: Prime Minister Mute Bourup Egede has unequivocally stated that Greenland “is not for sale and never will be for sale.”

Just as things did not end well for the Vikings in Greenland, an attempted takeover by the U.S. could end poorly as well. The estimated cost of purchasing Greenland ranges from $12.5 billion to $77 billion in taxpayer money—a staggering sum for an economy already under strain. Military intervention would likely yield the same grim consequences seen in the Philippines and other past conflicts. Would such a move align with America’s founding ideals of democracy and self-determination? If the goal is to violate those principles, then by all means, proceed with acquiring Greenland.