This document provides an overview of the history of marriage. It begins with marriage originating after the development of agriculture and animal husbandry in ancient civilizations like Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome. Marriage was a contract between the bride's father and husband that treated women as property. Most religions either allowed polygamy or monogamy. Same-sex marriage became legalized in recent decades in some countries. Contemporary marriage is impacted by technology, individualism, and rising divorce rates. The conclusion states marriage was established to build societies after humans settled into an agricultural lifestyle.