America Tried to Buy Greenland 5 Times. Here's Why It Never Works

In 1946, the United States secretly offered Denmark $100 million in gold for Greenland. Denmark said no — and it wasn't the first time. From Seward's report in 1867 to a swap for the Philippines, a rogue diplomat in 1941, a city hidden under the ice and today's rare earths and Arctic sea routes: here is the full story of America and the biggest island on Earth. 0:00 The secret offer 1:07 The man who bought Alaska (1867 & 1910) 2:16 The deal that backfired (1917) 3:12 The rogue diplomat (1941) 4:56 $100 million in gold (1946) 6:19 The city under the ice 7:41 Why now? 8:57 The answer Sources: US Office of the Historian, Danish Institute for International Studies (Greenland during the Cold War, 1997), US Army Corps of Engineers (Camp Century), Government of Greenland (Self-Government Act 2009), Verian poll for Berlingske/Sermitsiaq (January 2025). Maps: Natural Earth, NASA Blue Marble. Which of the five attempts surprised you the most? Tell me in the comments. #greenland #geography #history