1. The Aztec
At the time of European exploration, the Aztec civilization was the most powerful of all civilizations in central and southern Mexico.

2. The Aztec controlled the area around their capital city of Tenochtitlan, now Mexico City.
Their borders stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean
They controlled lands as far south as present-day Guatemala

4. The Aztec were known for their artwork, architecture, and efficient farming system
They constructed a beautiful pyramid temple at the center of their capital city, Tenochtitlan

5. Complex, Rich Society
They had a mathematical system to keep up with their empire, and they had two different calendar systems to organize their empire

6. The Aztec civilization ended in 1521 when it was conquered by the Spanish
They destroyed the city of Tenochtitlan and built Mexico City in its place

7. Montezuma II Montezuma II was an Aztec ruler from about 1500 to 1520
He is most famous for ruling the Aztec when their land was invaded by the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes.

8. Montezuma had spread the Aztec empire over a large part of central and southern Mexico.
Those conquered by Montezuma had to pay him taxes and had to send him humans for sacrifice.*

9. Hernan Cortes Born in 1485, Hernan Cortes was a Spanish conquistador
He is famous for conquering the Aztec Empire in Mexico in
Conquistador -  soldiers, explorers, and adventurers at the service of the Portuguese Empire and the Spanish Empire.

10. Introduction of the horse
In 1518, Cortes was told to take a group of ships to Mexico to conquer the powerful Aztec
He landed in Mexico in 1519 with eleven ships, five hundred soldiers, one hundred sailors, and sixteen horses.
What impact did the horse have on the Americas?
Introduction of the horse
*Horse changed life forever for the Americas!
*Used for transportation and labor.
*Changed lives of Native Americans on plains – allowed them to hunt buffalo. (Battles + Hunting) Tribes spread territory and trade with other tribes.
*Transportation source until early 20th century.
“terms of horsepower”

11. Cortes was concerned that some of his men would be frightened by the Aztec
To make sure that no one tried to escape back to Cuba, Cortes had all the ships destroyed.

12. Cortes trained his men for several months.
He made friends with nearby Indians who did not like the Aztec, and by the time he marched on the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlan, he had over 1,500 fighters. Over 1,000 were native people who wanted to fight the Aztec.

13. Because Montezuma believed that Cortes might be the returning Aztec god Quetecoatl, he welcomed Cortes into the city. Cortes and his men were given grand gifts and gold.

14. Once inside the city, Cortes and his men quickly took Montezuma captive
Cortes believed that he could control the Aztec by keeping their leader hostage

15. In 1521, Cortes led a military victory over the Aztec, during which Montezuma II was killed.
From this time forward, the Spanish sent more troops and settlers to Mexico.
They tore down the buildings of the Aztec and destroyed Tenochtitlan.
In its place, they built Mexico City
For the next 300 years, Mexico was under Spanish control.

16. Assignment: Question #1
What role did Hernan Cortes and his conquistadors play in the Columbian Exchange?
Keep the sheet on which you answer this question. Each day will have a new question, and I will take the paper with the completed questions up on Monday, March 17.