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Around 2,500 B.C. several Indo-European tribes arrived on the shores of the Baltic Sea. The ones who arrived in Latvia split into four basic tribes.

In the second half of the 1100s A.D., German traders were searching for a trade route to the east. They chose Riga for its strategic location. These traders conquered the Latvian settlers and established the city of Riga in 1201. This was supported by the Catholic church.

In 1522, several radical German preachers brought the reformation to Latvia. This created a division in the country. Churches were vandalized and monks were exiled from Riga.

In the early 1600s, the Swedish nation invaded and conquered the northern part of Latvia. This period is often referred to as the "good old Swedish times"; schools were opened, oppression of the peasants was lessened and the Bible was translated into Latvian.

In 1795, Sweden and Russia got into a war, which Russia won. In turn, they took over the country and ruled it until the beginning of WWI.

In 1802 and again in 1840 peasant rebellions broke out to try and do away with the appalling poverty of the people. Both of these were crushed, but the second one did win some freedom for the peasants. The land, however, stayed in the hands of the former owners.

Between 1862 and 1865 a group of Latvian students in St. Petersburg, Russia forged a more meaningful rebellion with the publication of a paper which did much to raise the national consciousness of the Latvian people.

In 1915, during WWI, the Germans conquered Latvia, and Russia acquiesced to it by means of a peace treaty. But, beginning in 1917, Latvian nationalists secretly plotted against the Germans and, in 1918 when Germany surrendered at the end of the war, the Latvians declared independence. This happened on November 18. After two more years of war with both Germany and Russia, Latvia finally defeated its enemies. In 1921 it was recognized by the international community and admitted into the League of Nations.

However, in 1940, Russia again invaded Latvia and conquered it. Sham elections were held to legitimize the takeover and Latvia became a part of the Soviet Union. During WWII, Germany again came into Latvia and conquered it. However, when they were eventually defeated, Latvia was again absorbed into the Soviet Union. During this time, literally thousands of Latvians were murdered and exiled.

In 1989, a Latvian political group, The Latvian Popular Front, called for independence. The next year, Popular Front candidates won a majority of seats in the Supreme Council of Latvia and adopted a declaration of independence with a transition period. Finally, in August of 1991, after the failed coup in Russia, Latvia declared an end to the transition period and declared its independence. In September, the USSR officially recognized Latvia as an independent country.