Uruguay’s History dates back to around 900 years, when the Charrúa were the first known settlers of Uruguay. They relied on hunting, fishing, and using bows and arrows to hunt. This helped them resist European colonization for centuries, but they were eventually taken over because of military campaigns and disease. In 1516, Spanish explorer Juan Díaz de Solís arrived at the Río de la Plata, which symbolizes the beginning of European colonization. However, after a while, he was caught and captured. Over the following years, Spain and Portugal fought for control. In 1726, Spain gained power and overthrew the Portuguese settlers. By 1811, Uruguay began its fight for independence from Spain, led by José Gervasio Artigas. However, after many victories, the territory fell under Brazilian rule in 1821. In 1825, a revolution was the ending point and resulted in Uruguay’s independence, but it was only recognized in 1828. Throughout the 19th century, Uruguay experienced political instability, including the Uruguayan Civil War (1838–1865). Later, Uruguay, alongside Brazil and Argentina, fought Paraguay in the Paraguayan War (1864–1870), which was ended quickly after Brazilian soldiers killed Paraguayan dictator Francisco Solano Lopez. European colonization, particularly by Spanish and Italian settlers, shaped Uruguay’s demographics, with smaller populations of African and Mestizo ancestry. After all of their struggles, Uruguay is now a constitutional republic where the government is elected by the people under a written constitution. Its history of colonization and immigration has influenced its culture, similar to the United States, with European traditions combined with Indigenous and African influences. Uruguay has a very harsh and painful history, but now they have a stable government that is able to make the country thrive.