The Awesome Aztecs

1. The Awesome Aztecs

2. Introduction The warlike Aztec nomads arrived in the Valley of Mexico about 1250 A.D. For the first 200 years, the Aztecs were constantly on the move. No one wanted the Aztecs as neighbors. One king gave the Aztecs a patch of snake infested land. The Aztecs feasted on roasted snakes and eventually built their own kingdom. bring up the sun, and everyone would die.

3. Finding a Home • The Aztecs believed their sun god- the feathered serpent Quetzalcoatl- would show them where their home would be. • According to legend, the Aztec would know the place when an eagle “screams and spreads its wings, and eats the serpent. • They found their homeland in 1325 A.D. on a soggy, swampy island in Lake Texcoco.

4. There an eagle greeted them from its perch on a prickly pear cactus. • It tore apart a snake dangling from its beak. • Then it spread its wings and screamed in triumph.

6. Tenochtitlan • The Aztecs went about building a great city. They worked day and night, digging the soil from the lake bottom to build bridges to the mainland. • They built floating gardens, piling soil on rafts anchored to the lake bottom. These were called Chinampas.

7. The City of Tenochtitlan • The Aztecs built the city of Tenochtitlan on an island in Lake Texcoco. They chose the island because the lake would offer protection from attacks from the mainland. • The city was criss-crossed with canals. These were the major streets of the city. • The great plaza was the center of the city. The city also had a pyramid and a double temple to the gods.

11. Aztec Government • Strong kings ruled the Aztecs who claimed descent from the gods. • A council of warriors, priests, and nobles picked a king from the royal family. • The king would be expected to prove himself by leading troops into battle. • They Aztecs wanted to conquer and collect tribute from conquered peoples.

12. Aztec Society • The king or emperor was at the top of the Aztec society. • The rest of the population was divided into four classes: nobles, commoners, unskilled laborers, and enslaved people. • Commoners could join the noble class by performing an act of bravery in war.

13. Serving the Gods • The Aztecs saw death as honorable. Those worthy of an afterlife included soldiers who died in battle, captives who sacrificed, and women who died in childbirth. • The Aztecs practiced human sacrifice. They believed if their gods were not fed, they would not do their job. • The sun god would not rise, and everyone would died.

15. The Spanish Arrive in America • In 1492, the Aztec appeared to be unbeatable. Around 250,000 people lived in Tenochtitlan, making it the largest city in America. • In just a few short years, however, the Europeans would destroy their empire.

16. Christopher Columbus • In 1492, an Italian sea captain convinced the Spanish to finance a trip to the west to find a shorter route to Asia. • Columbus sailed with three ships and landed on an island in the Caribbean. He returned home with colorful parrots, gold, spices, and several Native American captives. • Columbus returned with Spanish soldiers • to help him conquer the Americans.

18. Hernando Cortes • The Spanish began settlements in the “new world.” The Spanish governor of Cuba sent expeditions into Mexico in 1517 and 1518. • Hernando Cortes headed the third expedition in 1519. They were looking for riches and slave labor.

19. Cortes Invades Mexico • When Cortes arrived the Aztec emperor was Montezuma II. • The Spanish conquistadors, solider-explorers, stepped onto a beach in Veracruz. • Cortes had a small army, but the Native Americans were shocked by the Spanish horses and guns. A Mayan woman helped Cortes, by giving him information about the Aztecs.

21. Defeat of the Aztecs • The Aztecs feared Cortes was Quetzalcoatl, so they did not attack the Spaniards immediately. • The Spanish invaded Tenochtitlan and Cortes took Montezuma hostage. Fighting began and Montezuma was killed. • Smallpox broke out in Tenochtitlan and the weakened Aztec could no longer fight the Spanish.