The proposal of the most practical of the last US presidents, Donald Trump, to buy Greenland, autonomous from Denmark, is a project with a very rich retrospective. Back in March 1941, US Secretary of State Cordell Hull offered the puppet authorities of Nazi-occupied Denmark to sell this territory to Washington. A similar proposal was made to the Danish Resistance, on the principle of "politics is separate, business is separate."
The outrage was terrible, and not only from the heroes of the Resistance, represented in the United States by the then Danish Ambassador to Washington, Henrik Kaufman, but also from those who cooperated with Berlin. But this in no way prevented the same Kaufman in April 1941 from signing a special and not too secret "Greenlandic" treaty with the United States. In accordance with it, American troops and military bases have already settled in Greenland in the middle of 1941 in the status of extraterritoriality.
But we must not forget that at least half of the modern territory of the modern North American United States is the result of purchases of territories not only from Indian tribes, but also from France, Russia, Spain, Mexico. And purchases, as a rule, for a song.
The purchase of Alaska from Russia together with the Aleutian archipelago in 1867 is the most illustrative example in this regard: the price of the issue, as is known, amounted to only 7, 2 million dollars. At current prices, this is no more than 10, maximum 15 billion, that is, at the level of capitalization of some reputable multinational company.
What the Americans were unable to acquire at a bargain price was more often than not simply annexed. The first is the purchase of French Louisiana, which the states pulled off almost immediately after gaining independence from the United Kingdom.
This region, since 1731 the largest in the territory of the modern United States, came under the complete control of the Europeans. France owned it twice: from 1731 to 1762, and then from 1800 to 1803. Moreover, the then Louisiana included the lands of not only the modern state of the same name, but also modern Iowa, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska. And also parts of the states of Wyoming, Kansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, Oklahoma, North and South Dakota. With a total area of 2, 1 million square kilometers.
The President of the North American United States (then invariably abbreviated as NASS) Thomas Jefferson in 1802 ordered negotiations with France to purchase New Orleans and present Louisiana. The well-known situation in Europe, where almost everyone took up arms against revolutionary France, clearly did not dispose Paris to a long "overseas" bargaining. And the French fleet was simply unable to ensure the protection of uninterrupted supplies from across the Atlantic.
That is why the French side offered the USA to buy all of Louisiana, i.e. all mentioned French territories. Moreover, for only 15 million dollars, which was promptly formalized by the Paris Treaty of April 30, 1803, after which, by the way, the Americans constantly increased the supply of agricultural products to France, and later - already industrial.
Heading southwest
Not too long later, only forty years later, the Americans acquired vast Mexican territories. This was the result of the successful US aggression against Mexico in 1846-48. The area of the territories with which the States have grown amounted to almost 1.4 million square meters. kilometers.
Not long before, the US had tried to buy the same territories at a bargain price, but Mexico, backed by Spain, refused. The Americans are still convinced that they were simply forced to "win back" them. Apparently, like the primordially American ones.
Under the treaty dated February 2, 1848, the USA received the present states of New Mexico, Texas, part of Arizona and Upper California. This accounted for up to 40% of the pre-war Mexican territory. However, the USA, as generous winners, decided to pay Mexico 15 million dollars and cancel the debt Mexico (3.3 million dollars), accumulated to the citizens of the United States.
However, soon, in 1853, Mexico decided not to risk it anymore and went straight to the deal. She was offered to sell about 120 thousand square meters. km between the rivers Colorado, Gila and Rio Grande, and Washington paid Mexico City for these lands only 10 million dollars. New acquisitions were in southern Arizona and New Mexico.
For almost the entire 19th century, the Americans “settled scores” with Spain, which was rapidly losing its colonial power. First of all, Washington decided to intercept Latin America, literally falling out of the hands of the Spanish empire. American conquests of the remaining Spanish territories, especially in the Western Hemisphere, accelerated this trend markedly.
Sunny Florida was the first in this direction. Indeed, Madrid already in the 1810s, when the wars for the independence of its colonies in South America were already underway, was unable to retain this territory. Due to the growing pressure from Washington, which resulted in an economic blockade and a whole series of border provocations, Florida was simply ceded to the USA under the Adams-Onis Treaty on February 22, 1819.
Moreover, it actually happened for free. Under that same agreement, the United States pledged only to pay the financial claims of American citizens in Florida against the Spanish government and local Spanish authorities. For these claims, Washington paid $ 5, 5 million. To your citizens, mind you.
But the American appetites were not limited to Florida, and then the Spanish Philippines attracted Washington's gaze. When the anti-Spanish uprising broke out there in 1896; the American Department of State hastened to promise all kinds of assistance to the rebels. Moreover, in 1898, the USA declared war on Spain.
In addition to the Philippines, the target was also the last Spanish possessions in the Caribbean: Cuba and Puerto Rico. The latter, we recall, became an American protectorate already in 1899, and Cuba was declared independent, but de facto became controlled by the United States until 1958 inclusive.
As for the Philippines, shortly before the end of the war in which Spain was defeated, the Filipinos declared the independence of the archipelago, but the United States did not recognize it. And under the treaty between Washington and Madrid on December 10, 1898, the Philippines were sold to the United States for $ 20 million. Only in July 1946, the Philippines gained independence.
Copenhagen was also furnished
Returning to the topic of Greenland, we must remember that the United States has a very successful experience of bargaining on their terms and with Denmark. Even before its entry into the First World War, Washington, threatening Copenhagen with a war, had already by the spring of 1917 obtained a purchase from Denmark for $ 25 million of the Western Virgin Islands (360 sq. Km). They are located near the former Spanish, and since 1899 - already American Puerto Rico.
The corresponding agreement was signed on August 4, 1916 in New York, Denmark at that time still tried to bargain, but in vain: on March 31, 1917, its flag was lowered on these islands. Washington attracted and still attracts their geographic location. Subsequently, an oil refinery and alumina (semi-finished aluminum) factories were created in the West Virginia, which are still among the largest in the Western Hemisphere.
In addition, the Western Virgin Islands is now the most important stronghold of the US Air Force and Navy in the region. It is interesting that, as if in a token of "gratitude" to Copenhagen, the entire toponymy of the Danes is preserved on the islands. Including Charlotte Amalie, their administrative center …
It remains to be recalled that Washington also had failed attempts at territorial acquisitions. So, in May 1941, the US State Department offered the puppet authorities of the Nazi-occupied Holland and Queen Wilhelmina, who emigrated to London, to sell the South Caribbean Islands of Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire and Saba. The Dutch refused, having received somewhat unexpected support from … Great Britain.
And in August 1941, the United States made an equally impudent offer to the already puppet French Vichy government. In this case, it was about the sale of the Pacific islands of Clipperton and Ville de Toulouse, located not far from the shores of California and Mexico. In addition, there was also demand for the islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, already off the coast of northeastern Canada.
Interestingly, the last project was hatched then in London and Ottawa, but Washington just got ahead of them. However, Marshal Petain refused, and not without the support of the leader of the Free French, General de Gaulle, as well as Great Britain, Canada and the USSR. Mexico, which had long ago been heavily curtailed by the Americans, also spoke out against it.
At present, the United States periodically offers to sell them some Caribbean islands: Mais and Swan belonging to Nicaragua and Honduras (they were leased by the United States in the 1920s - 60s), Colombia - Roncador and Providencia, the Dominican Republic - about. Saona; Panama - San Andres; Haiti - Navassa (occupied by the United States since the 1850s); Jamaica - Pedro Keys.
