The Aztecs Ms. Baquedano

Origin Myth Aztecs were originally nomadic hunters Believed they would one day see an eagle on a cactus with a snake in its beak This would be a sign from the gods that this is where they should build their great city In 1325, the Aztecs settled on an island in Lake Texcoco, building the city of Tenochtitlan This is where the Mexican flag design comes from

Valley of Mexico Area was first settled by the Teotihuacans, then the Toltecs, then the Mexica [ pronounced me-hee-kah], who later turned into the Aztecs The Aztecs fled a place called Chapultepec to finally settle on the island of Lake Texcoco, Tenochtitlan Tenochtitlan was easy to defend, had plenty of fish, and water birds to eat

Beginnings Began as mercenaries for group called the Tepanecs Itzcoatl, Aztec ruler, rebels against the Tepanecs and forms a Triple Alliance with 2 other city-states, and defeated them Itzcoatl set out to make the Aztecs powerful and legendary, even going as far as burning Aztec history to rewrite them as descendents of the Toltecs

Tenochtitlan Even though it was an island, the city became a HUGE amazing city Aztecs were master builders – some of their buildings still stand Built “floating gardens” called chinampas to grow crops Built by putting poles in the water, and filling the space in between with mud, rocks, and straw