Download HISTORICAL UNDERSTANDINGS

HISTORICAL UNDERSTANDINGS
SS6H1 The student will describe the impact of European contact on Latin America.
a.Describe the encounter and consequences of the conflict between the Spanish and the
Aztecs and Incas and the roles of Cortes, Montezuma, Pizarro, and Atahualpa.
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The Aztec civilization was the most powerful in central and southern Mexico at the time of
European exploration. 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.
The Aztec were known for their artwork and architecture. They constructed a beautiful capital city
on islands in a large lake. A pyramid temple was at the center of this great city.
An important part of the culture of the Aztec was the sacrifice of animals and humans. People
who were conquered by the Aztec were required to pay large taxes. They also had to provide people
to offer as sacrifices to the Aztec gods.
The Aztec had a complex and rich society. They had a mathematical system to keep up with their
empire. They had two different calendar systems to organize their empire. They had a farming system
that was very efficient. They used irrigation to keep their crops growing even during dry periods.
The Aztec civilization ended in 1521 when it was conquered by the Spanish. The Spanish
destroyed much of the Aztec building and artwork. They destroyed the city of Tenochtitlan and built
Mexico City in its place. Today, some of the art and buildings of the Aztec have been re-discovered. A
modern version of the Aztec language, Nahuatl, is still spoken by thousands of people in Mexico.
____ 206. What was the capital of the Aztec empire?
A.Nahuatl
B. Mexico City
C.Montezuma
D. Tenochtitlan
____ 207. What was the language of the Aztec?
A.Mexican
B. Nahuatl
C.Spanish
D.Montezuman
____ 208. Which items show the Aztec had advanced knowledge?
A.farms, calendars, taxes
B. calendars, taxes, human sacrifices
C. irrigation systems, calendars, mathematics
D. animal sacrifices, mathematics, irrigation systems
____ 209. What did the Spanish do to the Aztec art and architecture after they conquered
the Aztec?
A.destroyed it
B. preserved it
C. adapted it for their own use
D. shipped it back to Spain to sell
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LATIN AMERICA
AND CANADA
AZTEC CIVILIZATION