Cornelis van Zanten was born on June 8, 3172 in Prinsenaard. He was from a middle-class family. His father, Abraham van Zanten, was a lawyer that traveled around Vanuku for cases. His mother, Marjolein, was at home caring for all four children the Van Zanten's had. On elementary school Cornelis quickly developed an interest in history and while going to high school he also developed a strong political opinion. He studied at the State University Prinsenaard and graduated cum laude on history. However, due to the unstable state of the country, caused by the massive financial crisis, jobs where hard to get by. The frustration of getting no jobs in this unstable nation made his political views more radical. After a year searching and living on his parents support he found a job at a small loca