The Aztecs

Capital City 1300s: Aztecs settled around Lake Texcoco (tay-SKOH-koh) Tenochtitlán: Aztec capital (Today: Mexico City) On an island in the middle of the lake Causeways: raised roads made of packed earth Sun God: “warriors of the sun”

Aerial View of Tenochtitlán

Tenochtitlan vs. Mexico City

An Empire of Great Status “Who could conquer Tenochtitlán? Who could shake the foundation of heaven?”-Aztec Poet 1500 Ad: A huge empire-stretched fromGulf of Mexico to the Pacific Coast Heavy Taxes Sacrifice of huge numbers of prisoners of war Warriors could become nobles by killing or capturing the enemies

Daily Life Foundations: 3-4 inches wooden polls Aqueducts: bring fresh water into the city Bridges 1428: War with the overlords, the Tepenacs Cut out heart, sprinkled blood of leader into Lake Texcoco Hygiene: rulers bathed twice a day while plague was ravishing Europe 1449: 15 million people (Aztecs)

Chinampas An Aztec farming technique Small, rectangular, fertile areas of land created by reeds and mud Grow crops in shallow lake beds

Altar Sacrifices Roadways: relay runners were posted along these roads for an express postal service Temple Mayor: Great Temple 117 steps on two staircases that climbed 200 feet Twin temples to honor the gods of rain and war Sense of reciprocity to the gods: valued blood and human sacrifice Aztecs called blood “precious water” Institutionalized sacrificial killing: religious and political statement/intimidation

Moctezuma II

Moctezuma II-(reign: 1502-1520) Outwardly ruthless: slaughtered entire towns that would not submit to his will Revered the supernatural: Comet-impending doom True threat: Spanish ships in the Gulf of Mexico Spanish: 500 men and 50 horses landed Aztecs: costumes for war Knights dressed as jaguars or eagles 1519: Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortes reaches Technotitlan Moctezuma becomes “puppet” for Cortes after he is captured Spring 1520: Spanish soldiers interrupt sacrifice and kill those involved; the Aztec people become enraged; pelt stones at Moctezuma (dies)

La Noche Triste Cortes, the Spanish conquistadors, and Native allies try to escape during the night Are weighed down by the plunder and riches Are attacked by Aztec warriors 400 Spanish die: known as “La Noche Triste” (“The Sad Night”) Afterward, Cortes escapes, cuts off aqueduct and food supply to Technochtilán Reassembles ships, launches them into the lake; eventually the Aztecs fall 90% of native population decimated by diseases (smallpox and others) brought in by the Spanish

The Fall of Tenochtitlán

Neil Young, “Cortez The Killer” 1975 album Zuma "Cortez The Killer" He came dancing across the water With his galleons and guns Looking for the new world In that palace in the sun. On the shore lay Montezuma With his coca leaves and pearls In his halls he often wondered With the secrets of the worlds. And his subjects gathered 'round him Like the leaves around a tree In their clothes of many colors For the angry gods to see. And the women all were beautiful And the men stood straight and strong They offered life in sacrifice So that others could go on. Hate was just a legend And war was never known The people worked together And they lifted many stones. They carried them to the flatlands And they died along the way But they built up with their bare hands What we still can't do today. And I know she's living there And she loves me to this day I still can't remember when Or how I lost my way. He came dancing across the water Cortez, Cortez What a killer.