3. The Rise of the Aztec Empire
The Aztecs were a small group of people who migrated into the Valley of Mexico from the north, establishing Tenochtitlán as their capital around 1400 B.C.
At its height, the Aztec empire contained 77,220 square miles of land and 3 million people
Pretty much exactly Utah

4. Aztec Empire Many competing small empires war ends in 1428
Triple Alliance
(Texcoco, Tlacopan, and Tenochtitlan)
3 states to form the Aztec Empire
Aztec Empire

5. Tenochtitlan (tee-noch-tit-lan)

6. ISLAND IN LAKE TEXCOCO = capital
with causeways to mainland

7. TENOCHTITLAN 200, ,000 in city
(4x pop. of London in 1500)

8. DRAWBRIDGES
FOR protection
Aqueducts for
freshwater
Clean
Temples, plazas

10. Modern Mexico City and the Zocalo – central plaza

11. TEMPLE MAYOR
Major temple
1978 found in
Mexico City

19. Private inner space – drains, altars

20. SKULL RACK

21. Feathered Serpent
Quetzal bird and snake
Quetzal god

22. Rain god
Tlaloc
War god
Huitzilopoctli
(wee-zil-o-poch-tli

23. War god – needed to be fed every day
Without sacrifice all
MOTION Stops
Sun would not rise
World would come to an end
sacrifice kept world in balance
For the reconsecration of
Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan
in 1487,
the Aztecs reported that they
sacrificed 84,400 prisoners
over the course of four days.

27. Government The Aztecs created an empire through conquest
Conquered people and local rulers had to pay tribute to the Aztecs
The Aztecs had an emperor
The Aztec Emperor’s main job was to lead in war

28. Montezuma
“Speaker” was very respected

29. Aztec
Militarism

30. The End of the Aztec Empire
Aztec expansion grew to incorporate much of central and southern Mexico
Aztec policy was to take land by force or battle
Spanish conquest - Cortez 1520
has help from conquered peoples
Overthrows Montezuma
Aztecs rally under Montezuma’s brother
Small pox decimates population, making it easy for Cortez to take over.