THE AZTECS

Teotihuacan City-State of Mexico Outside modern-day Mexico City Abandon by 750 A.D. “City of the Gods”

Toltecs Took over after the fall of Teotihuuacan Leader, Topiltzin, tried to change the religion and end sacrifices. Quetzalcoatl- feathered serpent god

AZTEC EMPIRE LOCATION The Aztecs were a great nation of nomadic warriors who traveled Mexico in about 1200 A.D. years ago in search of a land to call their own.

THE EAGLE AND THE SNAKE The Aztec chief had a dream in which their god appeared to him and declared that the Aztecs would build a great nation where the eagle with a snake in its talons lands on a cactus.

THE ISLAND IN THE LAKE The warriors searched for many days and came upon a lake. They were tired and hungry. They gazed out upon the lake and saw a huge eagle swoop down, grab a snake in its talons and land on a cactus that was on an island in the middle of the lake.

Great gardens and streams. They traveled by boat much like in Venice. GREAT BUILDERS Began to build a great nation in the middle of a huge lake (Tenochtitlan) Great gardens and streams. They traveled by boat much like in Venice. Planned city built of gold

Floating Gardens As the Aztec population grew, more food was needed. Created “floating” gardens. They built a series of rafts, which they anchored to the lake bed. They piled on dirt and grew crops. They made walkways out of mud and reeds to connect the floating rafts. Grew chili peppers, squash, corn, tomatoes, and beans

THE AZTEC EDUCATION Very well educated Advanced calendar Performed brain surgery Great in mathematics, architecture, building, astronomy, medicine, surgery, and farming

THE AZTEC RELIGION Polytheistic Personification (i.e. Sun, Moon) They thought that the moon and the sun did battle every night and day.

THE AZTECS GODS Believed that in order to give the Sun power to defeat the moon and rise each morning the Sun must have a blood sacrifice. Sacrificed a beating heart everyday

THE AZTEC SACRAFICES Forced to be at constant war to obtain prisoners to sacrifice Never killed their enemies. Captured them and held them for daily sacrifice. Placed on a bench, and their heart was cut out while a stone statue of Chac-mool was placed in.

THE AZTEC WARFARE The Aztecs were feared and hated by all of the other Indian tribes of Mexico.

THE ARRIVAL OF THE SPANISH Hernán Cortes had heard of the infamous Aztecs. The Spanish were experiencing gold fever Agreed to come to the Americas and conquer the Aztecs and steal their gold

THE CONQUEST OF THE AZTECS The Spanish conquistadors landed in Mexico with approximately 300 men and 40 horses. Traveled Mexico and met with the Indians Upon hearing how fierce the Aztecs were, Cortes’s men became scared Cortes burned his ships. This forced his men to fight or die.

THE AZTEC TRAITOR Another Indian tribe gave Cortes a woman slave by the name of Malintzin. She had been captured as a child by the Mayas. She was an Aztec and spoke many different languages because she had been traded.

THE COMING OF THE AZTEC GOD Malintzin became infatuated with Cortes because he was nice. Told Cortes that the Aztecs were awaiting their god Quetzalcoatl to return this year

THE MEETING According to Aztec legend a tall white man had appeared and ruled and left the Aztecs after promising to return in 100 years to rule them again. Hernán Cortes was Spanish. He was a tall white man. He came to Tenochtitlan that exact year.

MOCTEZUMA Hernán Cortes presented himself to the Aztec leader Moctezuma and claimed to be their returning God.

THE END OF THE AZTECS Moctezuma gave the Spaniards gifts of gold and welcomed them to his city. The Aztecs had never before seen horses and guns and wept with fear. They believed Hernán Cortes to be their long lost god.

HERNAN CORTES Hernan Cortes and his men killed Moctezuma. They had given an enemy a key to the city. Disease spread throughout Tenochtitlan. One third of the Indians were stricken and died of Small Pox.

THE GREAT BATTLE The Aztecs decided to kill the Spaniards. However, they were sick with disease and without a leader. Spaniards were out numbered one thousand to one. The other Indian tribes saw this as an opportunity to be rid of the Aztecs and came to help.

WHAT TO DO WITH THE GOLD? While some were fighting the Spaniards, the Aztecs men, women, and children worked and gathered up the gold throughout the city and piled it into boats. One by one they sunk those boats into the lake.

MEXICO CITY The bulk of the Aztec gold was lost to the world. The great Aztec empire fell. Mexico then built a great city on the site which used to be Tenochtitlan. The Aztec symbol is proudly flown on the Mexican flag, and today the Mexican people view the Aztecs and not Cortes as national heros.