The Aztecs were a pre-Columbian civilization which dominated Meso America from the 14th to the 16th century. The Aztec’s advanced military, stable economy and their stratified society were the foundations for the building and existence of a great civilization. The world remembers the Aztecs as an advanced, elaborate and wide-ranging empire which was later destroyed by the Spanish.
At first, the Aztecs were a relatively small and unknown tribe who called themselves the Mexicas. In the year of 1100 they left their homeland of Aztlan and came into the Valley of Mexico. And from their humble beginnings, the Aztecs rose to become the greatest power in Meso America by the time the Spaniards arrived, in the 16th century.
In the year of 1325, the Mexica tribe founded their first city known as Tenochtitlan in the Valley of Mexico near Lake Texcoco.
(Put up overhead of map) This map of the Valley of Mexico illustrates the geographical location of Tenochtitlan which is here on an island surrounded by fresh water and swamps.
In the beginning stages of Tenochtitlan’s development, Aztec life was very difficult in their undesirable location. Tenochtitlan was located on a marshy island with very limited resources. The Aztecs built a few thatch and mud huts, and some small temples to honour their gods. The Aztecs had to work constantly to maintain a city on swampy land. Despite these obstacles, the Aztecs worked hard to improve the quality of their lives. They adopted an agricultural system of farming called the Chinampas. And in a short period of time, the land was transformed into a fertile and highly productive island.
The Essay on Cortes 2 Hernan Aztecs Tenochtitlan
Hernan Cortes was born in Medellin, Extre Madura in 1485. Hernan was only a petite 5' 4'; but he made up for his height disadvantage with courage and determination. Cortes studied law in Spain but then he decided to come over to the Americas. Upon his arrival he joined force with velazquez to conquer Cuba. They did and in 1511 he became the mayor of Cuba. Cortes in 1519 persuaded Velaquez ( ...
Later on in 1431, the Mexicas established a strong triple alliance with two kingdoms known as Tlacopan, which was located here (pointing to overhead) and Texcoco, which was here (pointing to overhead) and these three powers joined together forming what we now call Aztec. This was also the period in which the Aztec’s military strength significantly increased. They grew from a small tribe of warriors into a powerful and highly disciplined military force. The Aztec army was composed of many battalions, each with an Aztec noble as their leader. Each battalion consisted of several hundred Eagle warriors which were supported by Jaguar warriors. The Aztecs used weapons such as bows, spears and daggers during battles with nearby tribes.
The Aztec society consisted of many clans. Each clan regulated its own affairs and elected a council which would keep order or declare wars if necessary. Each clan provided education and shelter to its members.
Furthermore, the Aztecs also had their own calendar as you can see here (pointing to overhead) and religion. They had a complicated religion and believed in making human sacrifices to worship gods. (Pointing to overhead) Here is The Wall of Skulls in Tenochtitlan which is an example of the Aztec’s human sacrifices.
By the beginning of the 16th century, the Aztec Empire had become a formidable power with a total area of 215000 square kilometres. By 1520, 38 conquered tributary provinces had been made, which had to make many payments of luxuries each year. However, some of the tribes at the borders stayed strongly independent and this made it easy for the Spanish captain, Cortez to defeat when he invaded during 1520. Throughout the invasion, many Aztecs were slaughtered and more however, during this crucial time for the Aztecs, there was also a deadly outbreak of smallpox which along with the Spanish invasion; placed an end to the great Aztec empire. Nonetheless, the Aztecs were a truly remarkable civilization which dominated Meso America from the 14th to the 16th century and is a civilization which history will forever remember.
The Term Paper on The Aztec Nation
The Aztec Nation A distant sound is heard. It sounds like a deep drum being hit with a heavy instrument. You hear it again and strain your eyes in the direction of the sound. All around you is dense jungle. Snakes slither between your legs. You hear the sound once again. In front of you is a dense stand of ferns. You part them and look down into a wide open valley. The valley gets so wide and it ...
