On March 22nd, it was the 400th anniversary of Hugo Grotius’ famous escape from a castle by hiding in a book chest. It is one of the many fascinating stories in his life.
Almost all research regarding the law of the sea, especially the freedoms on the high seas, begins with an examination of Hugo Grotius.
His book, Mare Liberum (the free sea), attempted to counter the ocean monopoly that Spain and Portugal had been granted the Pope. But, it did more than that; it laid out the claim, primarily through natural law, that the ocean was the property of none.
I have read his book a few times and used it in research for my master’s thesis and recommend it and its critiques.
For further reading:
Thanks for the info and the sources, it was an interesting read