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The Aztec Empire

The Aztec Empire.

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The Aztec Empire

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  1. The Aztec Empire • 1250 Aztecs settled near Lake Texcoco. 1325 Tenochtitlan was founded. First temple built by Aztecs. 1350 Causeways built with canals. 1370 Tenoch, Aztec Priest-Ruler, died. Aztecs ruled by Tepanecs. 1375 Acamapichtli becomes first ruler of Aztecs. 1400 Tepanecs were defeated. Aztecs expand and rule whole valley. 1428 Aztecs joined forces with Texcoco & Tlacopan formed Triple Alliance. Atzcapotzalco conquered. 1440 Moctezuma started rule. 1452 Tenochtitlan destroyed by flood. 1452-4 Famine. 1458 Moctezuma sent armies to conquer lands. 1469 Moctezuma I died. 1486 Ahuizotu became ruler. 1487 Great Temple at Tenochtitlan dedicated. Aztecs expanded southward into Mayan territories. 1502 Moctezuma II became ruler. Aztec Empire at height. 1519 Cortez comes to Mexico. Moctezuma II killed. 1520 Cuitlahuac elected ruler. 1521 Tenochtitlan destroyed. 1522 Tenochtitlan rebuilt, named Mexico City. Declared capital of Spanish colony of New Spain. Tenochtitlan Ruins, Mexico City

  2. Location South Central Region of Mexico

  3. Aztec Language: Nahuatl • Aztecs spoke a language called Nahuatl, which belongs to a large group of Indian language. This group includes the Commanche, Pima, Shoshone, etc. • Aztecs used pictographs to communicate through writing. • Some of the pictures symbolized ideas and others represented the sounds of the syllables.

  4. Contributions • Other variations on the Nahtual language group are still spoken in some of the regions spanning from Central Mexico through Northern Mexico on into the Southwestern U.s. including the Pima, Tohono O’ohdam of Arizona. • Poetry was the only occupation worthy of an Aztec warrior in times of peace. A remarkable amount of this poetry survives, having been collected during the era of the conquest. In some cases, we know names of individual authors, such as Netzahualcoyotl, tlatoani of Texcoco, and Cuacuatzin, Lord of Tepechpan. Miguel León-Portilla, the most renowned translator of Nahuatl, comments that it is in this poetry where we can find the real thought of the Aztecs, independent of "official" Aztec ideology.

  5. Society • Aztec society was broken into 3 classes. Slaves, commoners, and nobility. • Slaves are children of poor parents which could be sold, only for a certain time period. Eventually, slaves can buy their freedom. • Commoners were given lifetime ownership of an area of land. The lowest group of commoners were not allowed to own property, only to be tenant farmers. • Nobility was occupied by the highest social sphere, the Pipiltin. This was made up by a minority of families that occupied the hereditary nobility.

  6. Spiritual/Structure Beliefs • Aztecs had many beliefs, and believed in many different Gods. • Humans were often sacrificed in order to appease the Gods.

  7. Aztec Hero • Popocatepetl was a legendary warrior who died in battle. When he and his grief-stricken lover were changed into mountains.

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