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http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/Navigation/2-why-launch-from-equator.html
Another tool used by scientists to achieve space flight is location. Picking a good location for launching a rocket can be critical to it's success which is why most spacecrafts are launch from the near the equator. In order to reach orbit and stay there, the spacecraft has to be spinning around the Earth fast enough to not be pulled directly back down to the ground and instead attempt to achieve a state of "free fall" around the Earth.
Near the equator, the surface of the Earth is traveling much faster than normal. An easy way to explain why this is is to imagine running from the North Pole directly to the South Pole and ignoring the fact that you can't walk on water. In order to complete a revolution around the globe you need to maintain a near constant speed. However, since the Earth is round, you will have to travel a greater distance towards the equator so you would have to move much faster in order to make a full revolution in time. Because of inertia, a rocket launched from the equator will be still be moving relative to the direction of the equator's spin which can ensure the spacecraft can reach the speed it needs to go.