1325 – 1521 AD

Aztec

1. The Aztecs built a rich and powerful empire in central Mexico.

2. Life in the empire was shaped by social structure, religion, and warfare.

3. Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztec Empire in 1521.

Main Ideas

- The first Aztecs settled on a swampy island in the middle of Lake Texcoco

- Capital was Tenochtitlán (tay-NAWCH-teet-LAHN)o Problem: difficulty getting to & from the city

Solution: built canals & causeways, raised roads above water or wet ground

o Problem: little area for farming Solution: created floating gardens (chinampas), piled

soil on top of rafts & anchored them to trees that stood in the water

Building an Empire

- War, tribute, and trade made the Aztec Empire strong and rich.o War was a key factor in the Aztecs’ rise to powero demanded tribute payments from the people they

conquered...that cotton, gold, and food became vital to their economy

o controlled a huge trade network

- TOP “level” was the KING, head of society & his NOBLES – noble status passed from father to son; sons attended school to learn responsibilities

- Next WARRIORS & PRIESTS; priests led religious ceremonies, passed down history, and, as keepers of the calendars, decided when to plant and harvest

- Then…MERCHANTS & ARTISANS- FARMERS & LABORORS- SLAVES

Society

- Polytheistic- Regularly provided human sacrifices as tribute to

their godso Sacrifices usually came from slaves or captives of war

Religion

- fine stone pyramids and statues- used gold, gems, and bright feathers to make

jewelry and masks- embroidered colorful designs on the cloth they

wove- studied astronomy and devised a calendar much

like the Maya one- kept detailed written records & had a strong oral

tradition

Culture

- Examples of Aztec riddles:o “What is a little blue-green jar filled with popcorn?

o the skyo What is a mountainside that has a spring of water in it?

o Our nose

- Conquistadors (Spanish conquerors) arrived in Mexico in 1519

- Led by Hernan Cortes- Wanted to find gold, claim land, & convert the

natives- Aztec emperor, Moctezuma II, believed Cortes was

a god Quetzalcoatl (the same god that was said to have left Mexico & was to return in the SAME year, 1519)

Cortes

- Aztecs gave Cortes gold, but Cortes was dissatisfied & wanted more; he took the emperor hostage & war broke out (Moctezuma II was killed)

- Despite pushing the conquistadors out, Cortes returned with more natives who were angry with the Aztecs for their harsh rule

- Spanish won with:o Better weapons – armor, cannons, swordso Horseso Deadly disease that wiped out natives