Prime Minister of the Netherlands. Born to Senate politician Jan Fransen van de Putte, he followed education at the Royal Naval College in Medemblik, before being sent away in 1838 after hurting a petty officer by throwing a fishbowl. He then worked on merchant ships for ten years, rising to the position of Mate. He then began working as administrator and owner of several plantations in the Dutch East Indies. He returned to the Netherlands, where he was elected into the House of Representatives as a Liberal politician in 1862. A year later, he became Minister of Colonial Affairs in Cabinet-Thorbecke II. In 1866, Fransen van de Putte and Thorbecke had a disagreement about colonial policies. This disagreement led to the fall of Cabinet-Thorbecke II and King Willem III named Fransen van de Putte to form a new Cabinet. He would serve as Prime Minister and Minister of Colonial Affairs in his own cabinet. However, he would only serve as Prime Minister for 100 days, after another conflict with Thorbecke about colonial policies saw him resign. Fransen van de Putte opposed the Cultivation System in the Dutch East Indies, which saw native Indonesians having to devote 20% of their production to European export. He also wanted to let natives be able to privately own land. Thorbecke was more hesitant to introduce these changes. In 1866, Conservatives, supported by Thorbeckians, introduced an amendment to Fransen van de Putte's Cultivation Law. The amendment let natives use the land, but not privately own it. The amendment passed in May 1866. Fransen van de Putte offered his resignation as Prime Minister the next day, as he had no confidence in further cooperation with the Thorbeckians. He was succeeded by Jules Graaf van Zuylen van Nijevelt as Prime Minister. After his period as Prime Minister, he served as a Member of the House of Representatives again, until he was named Minister of Colonial Affairs in Cabinet-De Vries-Fransen van de Putte in 1872. He served until 1874, simultaneously serving as Temporary Minister of Navy from 1873 to 1874. From 1874 to 1880, he again was a Member of the House of Representatives, with a failed Cabinet formation attempt in 1879. Finally, he served as a Member of the Senate from 1880 until his death in 1902.