When the latter was dissolved by the czar, Čakste was one of its 166 members who signed the so-called Vyborg Manifesto, calling for non-violent resistance to the czarist regime.

In 1915 Čakste organised a demonstration to honour Major General Aleksey Potapov, the commanding officer of the defence of Jelgava, who later became one of the advocates of the formation of the Latvian Rifles.

[3] In 1917 Čakste departed for the United States on a tour to propagate the idea of Latvian independence, but the trip was cut short in Stockholm with the news of the Russian Revolution.

While informed of his election, he did not manage to arrive in time for the declaration of Latvian independence the next day, and the act was proclaimed by the vice-chairman, Gustavs Zemgals.

In 1919 Čakste travelled to the Paris Peace Conference, establishing relations with foreign diplomats and even attempting to draft a request for reparations from Germany – which did not receive support from the Entente states.

While undertaking his responsibilities as a statesman, Čakste continued teaching at the law school of the newly founded University of Latvia.

As President, Čakste's responsibilities were largely ceremonial, even though he continued to pay close attention to foreign affairs, especially to the international position of Latvia as a young European state in the world.

He caused some controversy in 1926 when he pardoned a prominent writer and a former head of the rival pro-German Latvian puppet government Andrievs Niedra, who was serving a sentence for treason.