Indians inhabited Cuba prior to Christopher Columbus' arrival in 1492. Almost two decades later, in 1514, the Spanish established their first settlements. They came in search of gold and silver. The Spahish settlers quickly moved on once they realized that Cuba didn't have the precious metals they were in search of. However, Cuba's vast land represented a precious resource. The forests were cultivated and exported to supply hte growing furniture industry. Sugar, which Columbus brought to the island on his second voyage, but at the time it had little significance. It would not be until the late 1700s that sugar would take over the island's industry. From that point on sugar dominated Cuba; the majority of the land was used to plant sugarcane. The resulting wealth caught the attention of the Cuban's as well as the United States. Nationalism began to increase in the 1830s, largely the result of certain intellects. Poets and writers became the voices of the surmounting Cuban identity. By 1961, Cuba had a population of 1.4 million. It also had a couple stategic ports in Havana and Santiago de Cuba. The Ten Year's War was the first indication that Cuba was ready to govern itself. In 1895, Cuban revolted against Spain. This marked the beginning of the War of Independence and the Spanish-American War.