Why did the US purchase of Iceland and Greenland not happen?

As a Dane I can say, that's probably not gonna happen. Why would Denmark want to do that if we have a nice kingdom unity that we're proud of on both sides? You imagine a bunch of Danes and Inuits calling themselves Americans? Also fun fact, Denmark is the 12th biggest country if I'm not mistaken. If Greenland was independent do you know who would occupy that place?

Greenland.

We're super tiny lol we need them and they need our money. But that's just currently, back in the day it would have been more possible (yet quite improbable). And when it comes to Iceland, it's totally a part of Europe. The Norwegians would have been pissed off if it had been sold.

/r/AskHistorians Thread