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5.2 The Aztecs

5.2 The Aztecs. The Aztecs Build an Empire. The first Aztecs were farmers who migrated from the north to Lake Texcoco in central Mexico. 1325  they began building their capital and conquering nearby towns. War was a key factor in the Aztecs rise to power.

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5.2 The Aztecs

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  1. 5.2 The Aztecs

  2. The Aztecs Build an Empire • The first Aztecs were farmers who migrated from the north to Lake Texcoco in central Mexico. • 1325  they began building their capital and conquering nearby towns.

  3. War was a key factor in the Aztecs rise to power. • They demanded tribute payments like cotton, gold, and food from the people they conquered.

  4. The Aztecs also controlled a huge trade network & merchants – who doubled as spies – worked to carry goods to and from all parts of the empire.

  5. Early 1400s  the Aztecs ruled the most powerful state in Mesoamerica. • Tenochtitlan was the Aztec capital which was built on an island in Lake Texcoco. • It was difficult to get to and from the city so the Aztecs built three wide causeways (raised roads across water or wet ground) to connect the island to the lakeshore. • They also built canals that crisscrossed the city which made travel and trade much easier.

  6. Tenochtitlan’s island location also limited the amount of farmland so the Aztecs built floating gardens called chinampas. • Home to 200,000 people at its’ height, Tenochtitlan had huge temples, a busy market, and a grand palace.

  7. Aztec Society • The Aztec emperor was the most important person in Aztec society along with his trusted nobles who helped him as tax collectors, judges, and other government officials. • Below the emperor and his nobles was a class of warriors and priests. • Warriors were highly respected & priests were very influential – they were the keepers of the calendars which meant they decided when to plant and harvest.

  8. The next level included merchants and artisans. • Below them were the farmers and laborers who made up the majority of the population. • In the lowest class were slaves who struggled to survive.

  9. Religion and Warfare • The Aztecs worshipped many gods whom they believed controlled both nature and human activities. • To please gods the priests made human sacrifices in which they would slash open their victims’ chests to “feed” human hearts and blood to the gods. • The Aztecs sacrificed as many as 10,000 people a year.

  10. Cultural Achievements • Aztec Achievements included: • Great stone pyramids and statues • Jewelry and masks made of gold, gems, and bright feathers • Studied astronomy & developed a calendar much like the Mayans

  11. Cortes Conquers the Aztecs • Late 1400s  the Spanish arrived in the Americas seeking adventure, riches, and converts to Catholicism. • One group of conquistadors (Spanish conquerors) reached Mexico in 1519. • Led by Hernan Cortes, their main mission was to find gold, claim land, and convert the native people to Christianity. • Aztec ruler, Moctezuma II gave the Spanish gold and other gifts, but Cortes wanted more so he took the emperor prisoner. • The Aztecs rebelled and the conquistadors left but Moctezuma was killed in the fighting.

  12. Within a year, Cortes returned with help from other natives who did not like the Aztecs. • He also brought strong weapons and horses which terrified the Aztecs because they had never seen such animals before. • In addition, the Spanish brought smallpox with them which caused disease to kill thousands of Aztecs eventually resulting in the end of the empire in 1521.

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