THE AZTECSTHE AZTECS

THEIR LOCATIONTHEIR LOCATIONThe Aztecs were a great nation of The Aztecs were a great nation of nomadic warriors who traveled nomadic warriors who traveled

Mexico about 700 years ago in search about 700 years ago in search of a land to call their own.of a land to call their own.

THE EAGLE AND THE SNAKETHE EAGLE AND THE SNAKEThe Aztec chief had a dream in The Aztec chief had a dream in which their god appeared to him which their god appeared to him

and declared that the Aztecs and declared that the Aztecs would build a great nation where would build a great nation where

the eagle with a snake in its talons the eagle with a snake in its talons lands on a cactus. lands on a cactus.

THE ISLAND IN THE LAKETHE ISLAND IN THE LAKE

The warriors searched for many The warriors searched for many days and came upon a lake. They days and came upon a lake. They

were tired and hungry. They were tired and hungry. They gazed out upon the lake and saw a gazed out upon the lake and saw a

huge eagle swoop down, grab a huge eagle swoop down, grab a snake in its talons and land on a snake in its talons and land on a

cactus that was on an island in the cactus that was on an island in the middle of the lake.middle of the lake.

GREAT BUILDERSGREAT BUILDERS

The Aztecs began to build a great nation The Aztecs began to build a great nation in the middle of a huge lake. They in the middle of a huge lake. They

named their city, Tenochtitlan. It has named their city, Tenochtitlan. It has been compared to Venice because of been compared to Venice because of its great gardens and streams. They its great gardens and streams. They

traveled by boat much like in Venice. It traveled by boat much like in Venice. It was a city built of gold.was a city built of gold.

THE AZTEC EDUCATIONTHE AZTEC EDUCATION

The Aztecs were very well The Aztecs were very well educated. They were the educated. They were the

first to create an first to create an advanced calendar that advanced calendar that

is more accurate than our is more accurate than our own. They performed own. They performed

brain surgery. They were brain surgery. They were great in mathematics, great in mathematics, architecture, building, architecture, building, astronomy, medicine, astronomy, medicine, surgery, and farming. surgery, and farming.

THE AZTEC RELIGIONTHE AZTEC RELIGION

The Aztecs were very The Aztecs were very religious people. They religious people. They

were polytheistic. were polytheistic. They had a god for They had a god for almost everything. almost everything. The Aztecs believed The Aztecs believed that the moon and that the moon and the sun were gods. the sun were gods.

They thought that the They thought that the moon and the sun did moon and the sun did

battle every night battle every night and day.and day.

THE AZTECS GODSTHE AZTECS GODSThe Aztecs believed The Aztecs believed

that in order to that in order to give the Sun power give the Sun power to defeat the moon to defeat the moon

and rise each and rise each morning the Sun morning the Sun

must have a blood must have a blood sacrifice. They sacrifice. They

believed they must believed they must sacrifice a beating sacrifice a beating heart everyday.heart everyday.

THE AZTEC SACRAFICESTHE AZTEC SACRAFICES

The Aztecs were forced to be at constant The Aztecs were forced to be at constant war to obtain prisoners to sacrifice. war to obtain prisoners to sacrifice.

They never killed their enemies. They never killed their enemies.

They captured them and held them for They captured them and held them for daily sacrifice. They were placed on a daily sacrifice. They were placed on a bench and their heart was cut out and bench and their heart was cut out and placed in a stone statue of Chac-mool.placed in a stone statue of Chac-mool.

THE AZTEC WARFARETHE AZTEC WARFARE

The Aztecs were The Aztecs were feared and feared and

hated by all of hated by all of the other the other

Indian tribes of Indian tribes of Mexico. Mexico.

THE ARRIVAL OF THE THE ARRIVAL OF THE SPANISHSPANISH

A man by the name of A man by the name of Hernán Cortes had Hernán Cortes had

heard of the heard of the infamous Aztecs. The infamous Aztecs. The

Spanish were Spanish were experiencing gold experiencing gold fever and Hernán fever and Hernán Cortes agreed to Cortes agreed to

come to the come to the Americas and Americas and

conquer the Aztecs conquer the Aztecs and steal their gold.and steal their gold.

THE CONQUEST OF THE THE CONQUEST OF THE AZTECSAZTECS

The Spanish conquistadors landed in The Spanish conquistadors landed in Mexico with approximately 300 men and Mexico with approximately 300 men and 40 horses. Upon there arrival, they came 40 horses. Upon there arrival, they came into conflict with Native American tribes. into conflict with Native American tribes. A truce was made that they would stop A truce was made that they would stop fighting each other and help each other fighting each other and help each other

fight the Aztec’s.fight the Aztec’s. Upon hearing how fierce the Aztecs were, Upon hearing how fierce the Aztecs were,

Cortes’s men became scared and wished Cortes’s men became scared and wished to return to Spain. Cortes became more to return to Spain. Cortes became more greedy and burned his ships. This forced greedy and burned his ships. This forced

his men to fight or die.his men to fight or die.

THE AZTEC TRAITORTHE AZTEC TRAITOR

Another Indian tribe Another Indian tribe gave Cortes a gave Cortes a

woman slave by the woman slave by the name of Malintzin. name of Malintzin.

She had been She had been captured as a child captured as a child by the Mayas. She by the Mayas. She was an Aztec and was an Aztec and

spoke many different spoke many different languages because languages because

she had been traded she had been traded by many different by many different

Indian tribes.Indian tribes.

THE COMING OF THE AZTEC THE COMING OF THE AZTEC GODGOD

Malintzin became Malintzin became infatuated with infatuated with

Cortes because he Cortes because he was the first was the first

person to treat her person to treat her nicely in many nicely in many years. She told years. She told Cortes that the Cortes that the

Aztecs were Aztecs were awaiting their god awaiting their god

Quetzalcoatl to Quetzalcoatl to return this year.return this year.

THE MEETINGTHE MEETING

According to Aztec According to Aztec legend a tall white legend a tall white man had appeared man had appeared

and ruled and left the and ruled and left the Aztecs after promising Aztecs after promising to return in 100 years to return in 100 years

to rule them again. to rule them again. Hernán Cortes was Hernán Cortes was

Spanish. He was a tall Spanish. He was a tall white man and he white man and he

came to Tenochtitlan came to Tenochtitlan that exact year. that exact year.

MOCTEZUMAMOCTEZUMA

Hernán Cortes Hernán Cortes presented presented

himself to the himself to the Aztec leader Aztec leader Moctezuma Moctezuma

and claimed to and claimed to be their be their

returning God.returning God.

THE END OF THE AZTECSTHE END OF THE AZTECS

Moctezuma gave the Moctezuma gave the Spaniards gifts of gold Spaniards gifts of gold and welcomed them to and welcomed them to

his city. The Aztecs his city. The Aztecs had never before seen had never before seen horses and guns and horses and guns and wept with fear. They wept with fear. They

believed Hernán believed Hernán Cortes to be their long Cortes to be their long lost god. This was the lost god. This was the beginning of the end.beginning of the end.

The Fate of the Aztec

Historians debate over who killed Moctezuma. The Aztec’s say the Spanish killed him and the Spanish say the Aztec’s killed him.

Once Moctezuma dies, the Aztec’s broke out into a riot and killed 1/3 of the Conquistadors. The Aztec’s goal was not to kill their enemy and allowed the rest of the Conquistadors to escape.

Cortez was one of these men.

The Fate of the Aztec

Cortez sent word to the other Native American tribes telling them that the city is ready for attack. The Tlaxcala tribe came to assist the Spanish.

With 200,000 soldiers and 13 big ships, the Spanish attacked the city of Tenochtitlan. By the time the Spanish attacked the city, small pox had swept through killing 1/3 of Aztec’s.

The Fate of the Aztec

How did the Spanish defeat the Aztec:

Guns - Arquebus Germs - Small pox / weak DNA Steel - Armor and weapons

WHAT TO DO WITH THE WHAT TO DO WITH THE GOLD?GOLD?

While some were fighting the While some were fighting the Spaniards, the Aztecs men, Spaniards, the Aztecs men,

women, and children worked women, and children worked and gathered up the gold and gathered up the gold

throughout the city and piled it throughout the city and piled it into boats. One by one they into boats. One by one they

sunk those boats into the lake.sunk those boats into the lake.

MEXICO CITYMEXICO CITY

The bulk of the Aztec gold was lost to The bulk of the Aztec gold was lost to the world. The great Aztec empire fell. the world. The great Aztec empire fell. Mexico then built a great city on the Mexico then built a great city on the site which used to be Tenochtitlan. site which used to be Tenochtitlan. Mexico City stands where the great Mexico City stands where the great

Aztec city once lay. The gold is Aztec city once lay. The gold is underneath Mexico City which is underneath Mexico City which is

currently the 2currently the 2ndnd largest city in the largest city in the world. The Aztec symbol is proudly world. The Aztec symbol is proudly

flown on the Mexican flag and today flown on the Mexican flag and today the Mexican people view the Aztecs the Mexican people view the Aztecs and not Cortes as national heroes.and not Cortes as national heroes.