After the arrival of Columbus in 1492, Cuba became a Spanish colony, ruled by a Spanish governor in Havana. A series of rebellions during the nineteenth century – the Ten Years’ War of 1868–1878, resulting in the abolishment of slavery and the Cuban War of Independence from 1895 to 1898 – failed to end Spanish rule. Increased tensions between Spain and the United States, culminating in the Spanish-American War, finally led to a Spanish withdrawal in 1898. In 1902, Cuba gained formal independence. In the years following its independence, the Cuban republic saw significant economic development, but also political corruption and a succession of despotic leaders, culminating in the overthrow of the dictator Fulgencio Batista by Fidel Castro during the Cuban Revolution (1953–1959). The Communist Party has since governed Cuba as a socialist state.