Trump's Greenland and Canada Ambitions Challenged by San Francisco Thinker

Walking tour explores Henry George's ideas as an antidote to Manifest Destiny land grabs

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

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A free walking tour in San Francisco will explore the 19th century history of land ownership and wealth extraction in California, and how the ideas of local thinker Henry George provide an antidote to the pernicious "Manifest Destiny" ideology that underpins President Trump's reported ambitions to acquire Greenland and Canada.

Why it matters

Trump's reported interest in acquiring Greenland and Canada is rooted in the same "Manifest Destiny" ideology that drove 19th century land grabs and wealth extraction in California. Understanding this history and the alternative vision offered by Henry George's ideas can provide important context and a path forward to challenge such imperialist ambitions.

The details

The walking tour will explore how the 19th century in California was marked by waves of foreign prospectors, settlers, and entrepreneurs treating the land as an endless source of personal wealth, with little regard for the social consequences. This culminated in a crisis of land scarcity that prompted local thinker Henry George to propose a radical new approach - that "Whoever wants to have society acknowledge private ownership in land needs to pay society to stay off that land."

  • The walking tour will take place on February 28, 2026.
  • Henry George published his influential work "Progress and Poverty" in 1879.

The players

Henry George

A 19th century American political economist and social reformer who proposed radical ideas about land ownership and its social effects, which are seen as an antidote to the imperialist "Manifest Destiny" ideology.

Donald Trump

The 45th President of the United States, who has reportedly expressed interest in acquiring the territories of Greenland and Canada, reflecting a "Manifest Destiny" mindset of territorial expansion.

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What they’re saying

“Whoever owns the Earth gets to charge rent for others to occupy.”

— Conventional Thinking

“Whoever wants to have society acknowledge private ownership in land needs to pay society to stay off that land!”

— Henry George, Political Economist

What’s next

The walking tour organizers plan to continue hosting similar events exploring the history and ideas that challenge imperialist land grabs.

The takeaway

Henry George's radical ideas about land ownership provide a powerful counterpoint to the pernicious "Manifest Destiny" ideology that has driven territorial expansion and wealth extraction throughout history. Understanding this history and George's alternative vision is crucial to challenging modern-day attempts at land acquisition, like Trump's reported interest in Greenland and Canada.