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 Mexico about 700 years ago in

search of a land to call their own.search 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 The Spanish conquistadors landed in Mexico with approximately 300 in Mexico with approximately 300 men and 40 horses. They traveled men and 40 horses. They traveled Mexico and met with the Indians. Mexico and met with the Indians.

Upon hearing how fierce the Upon hearing how fierce the Aztecs were, Cortes’s men became Aztecs were, Cortes’s men became

scared and wished to return to scared and wished to return to Spain. Cortes became more greedy Spain. Cortes became more greedy and burned his ships. This forced 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 Spaniards gifts of

gold and welcomed gold and welcomed them to his city. them to his city. The Aztecs had The Aztecs had

never before seen never before seen horses and guns horses and guns

and wept with fear. and wept with fear. They believed They believed

Hernán Cortes to be Hernán Cortes to be their long lost god. their long lost god.

HERNAN CORTESHERNAN CORTESHernan Cortes and his men killed Hernan Cortes and his men killed

Moctezuma. The Aztecs were Moctezuma. The Aztecs were horrified. They had given an enemy horrified. They had given an enemy a key to the city. As they debated a key to the city. As they debated on whether Hernan was actually a on whether Hernan was actually a god, disease spread throughout god, disease spread throughout Tenochtitlan. One third of the Tenochtitlan. One third of the

Indians were stricken and died of Indians were stricken and died of small pox. The great Indian nation small pox. The great Indian nation

was weakened by disease and was weakened by disease and without a leader. without a leader.

THE GREAT BATTLETHE GREAT BATTLE

The Aztecs decided to kill the The Aztecs decided to kill the Spaniards. However, they were sick Spaniards. However, they were sick with disease and without a leader. with disease and without a leader.

Still the Spaniards were out Still the Spaniards were out numbered one thousand to one. The numbered one thousand to one. The Spanish then sent out messages to Spanish then sent out messages to

the other Indian tribes who hated the the other Indian tribes who hated the Aztecs, telling them that they had Aztecs, telling them that they had conquered the city and killed the conquered the city and killed the

leader. The other Indian tribes saw leader. The other Indian tribes saw this as an opportunity to be rid of the this as an opportunity to be rid of the

Aztecs and came to help. Aztecs and came to help.

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

The Aztecs quickly realized that they The Aztecs quickly realized that they had no leadership. They were had no leadership. They were

becoming sick with small pox and becoming sick with small pox and other Indian tribes were coming to other Indian tribes were coming to help the Spanish. While some were help the Spanish. While some were fighting the Spaniards, the Aztecs fighting the Spaniards, the Aztecs men, women, and children worked men, 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 sunk into boats. One by one they sunk those boats into the lake. 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.