1. The Aztec Empire

2. Objective
SWBAT explain how the Aztecs controlled their empire

3. Growth Tenochtitlan began as simply the Aztecs’ home city
After the Aztecs and their allies defeated the Tepanecs in 1428 CE, the city became the capital of a growing empire
Under Montezuma I in the mid 1400s, the Aztecs extended their empire to faraway regions
By the early 1500s, the Aztec Empire stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean
At its height, the empire included more than 5 million people

4. Checks for Understanding
What did Tenochtitlan first start out as?
The Aztecs’ home city
What did it become after 1428?
The capital of a growing empire
Where did the empire stretch by the early 1500s?
From the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean
How many people did the empire include at its height?
5 million

5. The Aztec Empire
Unlike other empire builders, the Aztecs did not start colonies
They also did not force conquered peoples to adopt their ways
Instead, the Aztec Empire was a loose union of hundreds of city-states that were forced to pay tribute to the Aztecs
The Aztec Empire was different than all empires we have discussed, they just wanted money and gifts!

6. Checks for Understanding
What did the Aztecs not do with their empire?
Start colonies
What did they not make the people they conquered do?
Adopt the Aztec ways
What was the empire?
A loose union of hundreds of city-states that were forced to pay tribute to the Aztecs

7. Tribute Collecting tribute was the empire’s most important business
The Aztecs relied on tribute to support Tenochtitlan’s huge population
Tribute took the form of whatever valuable items a city could provide
Cities might pay in food, cacao, gems and stones, cotton, cloth, animals etc.
Tax collectors stationed around the empire made sure that cities paid regularly

8. Checks for Understanding
What was the empire’s most important business?
Collecting tribute
What did they rely on tribute for?
To support Tenochtitlan’s huge population
What was the tribute?
Valuable items a city could provide
How did they make sure city-states paid regularly?
Tax collectors were staged all around the empire

9. Warfare The demands of the empire made war the center of Aztec life
Successful battles allow the Aztecs to increase their sources of tribute
They also gained more territory, laborers, and sacrificial victims
They took as many prisoners as possible to use in sacrifices to please Huitzilopochtli, the god of war

10. Checks for Understanding
Why was war the center of Aztec life?
Because of the demands of the empire (feeding the population)
What allowed the Aztecs to gain more tributes?
Successful battles
What else did the Aztecs gain?
More territory, laborers, and sacrificial victims
Why did they take as many prisoners as possible?
To sacrifice them

11. Battle Every male Aztec was trained to be a soldier
First, the Aztecs asked a city to join the empire as an ally
The city had 60 days to agree, if the ruler refused, the Aztecs declared war
The battle began when thousands of Aztec warriors descended upon the city
As the armies faced each other, a general gave the signal to attack

12. Checks for Understanding
What did every male Aztec have to be?
A soldier
What was the first step of the battle?
The Aztecs asked a city to join them as an ally
What happened after 60 days and the city did not accept the offer?
The Aztecs declared war
When did the battle begin?
When 1000s of warriors descended upon the city

13. Aftermath
Aztec warriors excelled at hand-to-hand fighting and most wars ended after one battle, usually with an Aztec victory
After the city had fallen, the Aztecs brought their captives to Tenochtitlan
Some became slaves, but most were sacrificed to Huitzilopochtli
The Aztecs would then make a few demands on the defeated city

14. Checks for Understanding
Why did most wars end after one battle?
Because the Aztecs were awesome warriors
What did the Aztecs do with their warriors after the battle?
They brought them to Tenochtitlan
What happened to them?
Some became slaves, but most were sacrificed

15. Defeated Cities and People
The defeated people had to pay tribute and honor Huitzilpochtli, and promise obedience to the Aztec ruler
Otherwise, conquered cities remained independent (kept religion, customs, and languages)
These lenient conditions made it easy for the Aztecs to rule
However, most conquered people didn’t view themselves as Aztecs, and there was never a sense of unity in the Aztec Empire

16. Checks for Understanding
What happened to the defeated people?
They had to pay tribute and honor Huitzilpochtli and promise obedience to the Aztec ruler
How did conquered cities remain independent?
They kept their religion, customs, and languages
What did this allow for?
Easy rule by the Aztecs
What problem arose?
The empire wasn’t truly unified