Chapter

12
Later American
Civiliza4ons
 Aztecs Se)le in Central Mexico
At rst, the Aztecs were nomadic hunters and
gathers that lived in the deserts of Mexico.

In the late 1200s, Aztecs began to move south

to the Valley of Mexico at eleva4on of about
7,500 feet above sea level.

Aztec legend says that the Aztec god of sun and

war (Huitzilopochtli) commanded the Aztecs to
Go where the cactus grows, on which the
eagle sits happily.

ANer 200 years of wandering and in the year

1325 C.E. the Aztecs seQled in the Valley of
Mexico, in what is today Mexico City.

The Aztecs found a small island in a large lake

(later named Lake Texcoco), and built the Aztec
capital of Tenoch5tlan.

The Aztecs were great warriors, and worked as

mercenaries for local rulers.

WATCH 36 hours in Mexico City

 Adap5ng to the Land
The lands around Tenoch4tlan was swampy
and high mountains with liQle level land for
farming.

The Aztecs adapted when they learned to

construct chinampas, or raised garden beds
on the lake.

The chinampas enabled the Aztecs to grow

corn, squash, and chili peppers.

With a plen4ful food supply, the popula4on

of Tenoch4tlan and land controlled by the
Aztecs grew.

Aztec engineers built canals, bridges, and

causeways to connect the city to the
surrounding mainland.

READ Turning Swamps into Floa4ng Gardens
WATCH Discovery Atlas


 Zocalo (the Plaza de la Cons4tu4on)
Na4onal Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the Templo
Mayor
 Building an Empire
The Aztecs traded for goods they could not get
locally, such as wood and stones for buildings.

The Aztecs made alliances with some city-states,

and used their warrior skills to conquer others.

By the early 1500s, the Aztec empire controlled

land from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacic
Ocean and from the Valley of Mexico to
Guatemala.

Between 6 and 12 million people lived under

Aztec rule.

The Aztec rulers demanded tribute. The forced

payment could be paid with corn, gold, and
jade.

WATCH Impossible City
WATCH Crea4ng Incredible Islands
THINK-PAIR-SHARE How do you think the Aztecs
built and maintained Tenoch4tlan?
 Aztec Society
Main classes of Aztec society
1) Nobles were the smallest class, but held
the most power. Priests were from the
noble class.

2) Intermediate class were merchants and

skilled ar4sans.

3) Commoners were farmers, shers,

craNspeople, and soldiers. Most people
in Aztec society were commoners.

4) Slaves in Aztecs society were usually
prisoners of war.

WATCH Mexico City is Sinking
WATCH Mexico City Earthquake
DISCUSS What can we do to solve the
problem?
 Aztec Belief
Aztec boys began their educa4on at
age 10 to learn about religion and
gh4ng skills.

Girls were usually taught at home.

Aztecs were polytheists because they

believed in about 1,000 gods.

Prisoners of war became slaves or

some4mes sacriced to their gods.

To the Aztecs, war was a sacred duty.

Territory and people needed to be
conquered to expand the empire.

WATCH What Happened to the Aztecs

 Montezuma II
In 1502, Montezuma II became the
emperor of the Aztecs.

As the Aztec popula4on grew the
Aztecs needed more land and
emperors demanded more tributes.

To get more land and meet the

demands of the emperors the Aztecs
were always at war.

Some of the Aztecs rebelled against
Montezuma II because of his harsh
treatment, high demands for tribute
and vic4ms for sacrice.

RIDE Montezumas Revenge

 Fall of the Aztec Empire
In 1519, Hernan Cortes arrived in the Aztec
empire seeking gold and glory for Spain.

Montezuma met with Cortes in hopes of

avoiding a war, but was taken prisoner.

Montezuma was killed in the gh4ng between

the Aztecs and Spanish.

The Spanish eventually defeated the Aztecs

because
1) Disease (smallpox) weakened the Aztecs,
2) The Spanish had superior weapons (muskets,
body armor, warships with cannons, horses,
and dogs),
3) Help from thousands of Mesoamerican rebels.

In 1521, Cortes conquered the Aztec capital of
Tenoch4tlan.

WATCH Hernan Cortes History Channel