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The U.S. effectively took control of Greenland during World War II by setting up military bases (Image: X)
US President Trump sent shockwaves through European capitals by sharing an AI-generated image that shows Greenland and Canada as US territories, as the American President prepares for a showdown with world leaders at Davos.
The photo, posted on Trump's Truth Social platform, seems to have been designed to be as provocative as possible by depicting a tense scene in the Oval Office with Britain's Sir Keir Starmer, France's Emmanuel Macron, and Italy's Giorgia Meloni gathered around a map that boldly redraws the borders of North America.
However, the former real estate mogul's aggressive move to redraw the map comes on the heels of a series of real-world stunning foreign policy coups that have left his critics stunned and his supporters elated.
Just this month, Trump captured Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and declared that he was "in control" of the once-proud nation. Last year, he strong-armed Mexico and Canada with threats to absorb them into a greater American empire. Now, the US President has set his sights on making Cuba the next star on the American flag, with whispers that Colombia could follow.
In 1776 the former British colony was a strip of land on the East Coast. (Image: YT)
By 1826 the nation's territory had reached the West Coast (Image: YT)
A New American Empire?
While Trump's ambitions to purchase entire countries may seem like the stuff of fiction, the fact is that present-day America, including its far-flung territories, was largely built on such transactions, as the timeline below reveals. The bulk of American land acquisitions occurred during the 19th century when European colonial powers like Great Britain controlled vast swathes of the globe, often through brute force.
It was during this era that President James Monroe famously articulated his eponymous doctrine, asserting American dominance over the Western Hemisphere - a policy that seems to have found new life in the Age of Trump.
Ironically, while Denmark is currently the most vocal opponent of Trump's territorial ambitions, it was the Scandinavian nation that most recently sold a substantial parcel of land to the US.
In a transaction that seems quaint by today's standards, Denmark handed over the US Virgin Islands to America in 1917 for the princely sum of $25 million in gold bullion - a far cry from the billions or even trillions that Greenland could fetch in the modern era.
In addition, the U.S. already effectively took control of Greenland during World War II by setting up military bases and taking responsibility for its defence after Nazi Germany occupied Denmark, under a 1941 agreement with the Danish ambassador to protect the strategically important territory.
By WW2 the USA's modern borders were long-established and Greenland was also US-run (Image: YT)
From 13 Colonies to 50 States and more
As of 2026, the United States territorial timeline includes the following major and minor acquisitions, including the expansion into the Pacific and the administration of Trust Territories:
18th and 19th Century Expansion
1783: Treaty of Paris. Established the original borders of the United States following the Revolutionary War.
1803: Louisiana Purchase. The U.S. purchased approximately 828,000 square miles from France for $15 million, nearly doubling the nation's size.
1818: Red River Basin. Ceded by Great Britain, establishing the 49th parallel as the northern border for parts of present-day Minnesota and North Dakota.
1819: Florida Acquisition. Spain ceded East and West Florida through the Adams–Onís Treaty.
1845: Texas Annexation. The Republic of Texas was admitted as a state.
1846: Oregon Territory. Borders were established through a treaty with Great Britain.
1848: Mexican Cession. Following the Mexican-American War, the U.S. acquired land including California, Nevada, and Utah for $15 million.
1854: Gadsden Purchase. The U.S. bought a strip of land in southern Arizona and New Mexico from Mexico for $10 million to facilitate a southern railroad.
1856–1860: Guano Islands. Under the Guano Islands Act, the U.S. began claiming dozens of small uninhabited islands, including Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands (1857) and Johnston Atoll (1858).
1867: Alaska Purchase. Purchased from the Russian Empire for $7.2 million.
1867: Midway Atoll. Formally annexed after being claimed under the Guano Islands Act.
1898: Annexation of Hawaii. The Republic of Hawaii was annexed following the overthrow of its monarchy.
1898: Spanish-American War Gains. The U.S. acquired Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines (purchased for $20 million) from Spain.
1899: Wake Island. Annexed as an unoccupied area.
20th Century to Present
1900–1904: American Samoa. Acquired through deeds of cession from local chiefs following the Tripartite Convention of 1899. Tutuila was ceded in 1900, followed by the Manuʻa Islands in 1904.
1903: Panama Canal Zone. Leased from Panama for $10 million; control was fully returned to Panama in 1999.
1917: U.S. Virgin Islands. Purchased from Denmark for $25 million in gold to secure strategic positions during WWI.
1922: Kingman Reef. Formally annexed for use as a potential airline refueling stop.
1925: Swains Island. Annexed and added to American Samoa.
1947: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI). Following WWII, the U.S. was designated by the UN as the administering authority over several island groups:
Northern Mariana Islands: Chose to become a U.S. commonwealth in 1986.
Federated States of Micronesia: Became independent in 1986 in a Compact of Free Association with the U.S..
Marshall Islands: Became independent in 1986.
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Palau: The final part of the trust to gain independence in 1994.
2026 Status: As of January 2026, there are renewed discussions and strategic interest regarding potential future acquisitions, most notably Greenland, though it remains a territory of Denmark.
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