Much of the Dutch jurisprudence was based on the writings of Grotius, emphasizing claiming the land and interaction with the natives. The English did not generally accept Grotius' theories, in particular his Mare Liberum. When Henry Hudson first explored the area, he had been employed by the Dutch: so the Netherlands could base its claim on both first discovery and status as financial backer. In addition, the Dutch felt that “that territorial possession depended on recognition of the rights of indigenous people in regard to their territory as well as on a Dutch military presence to defend the claim from European incursion.” While the majority of the Dutch population of New Netherlands clustered around the Hudson River and western Long Island, the Dutch still maintained forts and trading po