Download Aztec

AZTECS (1325-1521 AD)
MAIN IDEAS
1. The Aztecs built a rich and powerful empire in central _____________.
2. Life in the empire was shaped by social structure, religion, and
___________________.
3. Hernán ______________ conquered the Aztec Empire in 1521.
BUILDING AN EMPIRE
 The first Aztecs settled on a swampy island in the middle of Lake
Texcoco
 Capital was _________________________________
 Problem: difficulty getting to & from the city
o Solution: built canals & ___________________, raised
roads above water or wet ground
 Problem: little area for farming
o Solution: created ______________ ______________
(chinampas), piled soil on top of rafts & anchored them to
trees that stood in the water
 __________, _______________, and _________________ made
the Aztec Empire strong and rich.
o War was a ___________ factor in the Aztecs’ rise to power
o demanded tribute payments from the people they
conquered...that cotton, gold, and food became vital to
their _____________________________
o controlled a huge _________________ network
SOCIETY
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TOP “level” was the _____________, head of society & his
__________________ – noble status passed from father to
son; sons attended school to learn responsibilities
Next _______________ & ___________________; priests led
religious ceremonies, passed down history, and, as keepers of
the calendars, decided when to plant and harvest
Then…_________________ & ____________________
____________________& _______________________
____________________
RELIGION
 _________________________
 Regularly provided _______________ __________________ as
tribute to their gods
o Sacrifices usually came from slaves or captives of war
CULTURE
 fine stone pyramids and statues
 used gold, gems, and bright feathers to make jewelry and masks
 embroidered colorful designs on the cloth they wove
 studied astronomy and devised a calendar much like the Maya
one
 kept detailed written records & had a strong oral tradition
 Examples of Aztec riddles:
o “What is a little blue-green jar filled with popcorn?”
the sky
o “What is a mountainside that has a spring of water in
it?”Our nose
CORTES
 ______________________ (Spanish conquerors) arrived in
Mexico in 1519
 Led by Hernan _________________
 Wanted to _______ _________, _________ _________, &
______________ the natives
 Aztec emperor, ________________________ was said to have left
Mexico & was to return in the SAME year, 1519)
 Aztecs gave Cortes gold, but Cortes was dissatisfied & wanted
more; he took the emperor hostage & war broke out (Moctezuma
II was killed)
 Despite pushing the conquistadors out, Cortes returned with
more natives who were angry with the Aztecs for their harsh rule
 Spanish won with:
o ____________ _____________ – armor, cannons, swords
o ______________________
o Deadly ____________________ that wiped out natives