Download The Aztecs

Essential Standards
6.G.2- Apply the tools of a geographer to understand the
emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies and
regions.
6.G.1- Understand geographic factors that influenced the
emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies and
regions (i.e. Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas) over time
6.C&G.1- Understand the development of government in various
civilizations, societies and regions
6.C.1- Explain how the behaviors and practices of individuals and
groups influenced societies, civilizations and regions.
Clarifying Objective
 6.G.2.1Use maps, charts, graphs, geographic data and available technology tools
to draw conclusions about the emergence, expansion and decline of
civilizations, societies and regions
 6.G.1.4Explain how and why civilizations, societies and regions have used,
modified and adapted to their environments (e.g., invention of tools,
domestication of plants and animals, farming techniques and creation of
dwellings).
 6.C&G.1.3Compare the requirements for (e.g., age, gender and status) and
responsibilities of (e.g., paying taxes and military service) citizenship under
various governments.
 6.C.1.3Summarize systems of social structure within various civilizations and
societies over time
Essential Question
Who were “The Aztecs”
The The Aztecs were a tribe that many people
originated from the Atzlan Tribe of the
Southwest United States
They were polytheistic people meaning they
believed in multiple gods
They were a warrior culture but were
supported by agriculture as corn/maize was
their main food
The Mexicas/Tenochca
 The story of the Aztec Civilization begins
with a nomadic people called the
Mexicas/Tenochca
 The Mexicas/Tenochca arrived in the
Valley of Mexico on Lake Texcoco
around 1250 A.D.
 They found 5 other strong tribes living
there already
 They couldn’t find a place to settle
The Mexicas/Tenochca
• The Mexica/Tenochca
wanted to settle on Lake
Texcoco as as they realized
that settling around a body of
water was one of the major
keys to the survival of a
civilization
• They moved from shore to
shore on Lake Texcoco
getting kicked out left & right
because another civilization
owned that shoreline
The Mexicas
 The Mexicas were finally invited
to settle on poor lands by the
Culhuacan who wanted to use
the Mexicas/Tenochca as
warriors
 As a tribute the
Mexicas/Tenochca asked
permission to make the
Culhuacan king’s daughter the
goddess Yaocihuatl through an
ancient Mexica/Tenochca ritual
The Mexicas
Culhuacan King was honored and very happy
and accepted the ritual as a sign of respect &
friendship
The Culhuacan King’s daughter was led to a
small temple
Yaocihuatl
She was to become the goddess of war in the
Aztec Culture
Yaocihuatl is a word that is used for a woman
warrior
It translates to woman warrior in Spanish
(mujer guerrera) or woman that wages war
The Mexica’s Religious Belief
The Mexicas believed in order to make her a goddess
she would need to live with the gods
In order to live with the gods she needed to be
sacrificed (human sacrifice)
The Aztecs were known for making human sacrifices
to their gods (the Mayans & Incas also offered
sacrifices but not human sacrifices)
Mexicas & Culhuacan Unification Ceremony
 During the
Mexicas/Tenochca &
Culhuacan Unification
Ceremony there was
food & dance & laughter
& thousands of people
came
 Then it became time for
the Culhuacan King’s
daughter to be
recognized as a goddess
Mexicas & Culhuacan Unification Ceremony
Everyone was wearing masks
decorated in stone tiles,
decorated wood & shells
which was religious custom
With everyone watching one
of the Mexica/Tenochca
priests came out of the small
temple wearing the
Culhuacan King’s daughter’s
face as a facemask
Culhuacan King
 Obviously the
Culhuacan King was
furious and expelled
the Mexica/Tenochca
out of Culhuacan
territory
 The Mexica again
were nomadic and
looking for a place to
settle
Where the Eagle Sits
 That night that they were ordered
to flee the Mexicas/Tenochca
King had a dream
 The dream ordered him to lead
his people to the place where the
eagle sits upon the cactus with a
snake in his talons
 The next day the
Mexica/Tenochca King led them
to an island where he witnessed
an Eagle sitting on a Cactus with a
snake in his talons
Build Your City
In the dream the King was
instructed to build a city
where he found the Eagle
on the cactus with the snake
and the city would be
prosperous beyond his
dreams
The island where the Eagle
sat upon the cactus
happened to be in the
middle of Lake Texcoco
Tenochtitlan
• The Mexicas/Tenochca
began building the city which
they named Tenochtitlan
because they were known as
the Tenochca
• The Mexicas/Tenochca
became skilled warriors
and began attacking
other tribes in the
region (current day
Mexico)
Tenochtitlan
• Their enemies began
to call them the
Aztecs for the region
that they originally
came from (Aztlan)
• Tenochtitlan became
the religious center &
trade of the Aztecs
Culture
Sun Stone & Temples
• Aztecs built temples to worship their
gods
• Aztecs create the Sun Stone as a
tribute to their sun god
• Some believe it served as the Aztec
calendar although that theory many
do not think is true
• However the Sun Stone is still a
symbol of pride in Mexico today
Allying with the Mayans
& Toltec
The Triple Alliance
• In 1427 the Aztecs
allied together with the
Mayan & Toltec people
• Itzacoatl came into
power & became the
Emperor of the Aztecs
• Each of the three
Cultures had their
responsibilities
Allying with the Mayans & Toltec
The Triple Alliance
• The Toltec people were
responsible for education
• The Mayan’s were
responsible for arts &
government & societal
structure
• The Aztecs were
responsible for expanding
the empire & attacking
other civilizations
Aztecs Conquer
Under the Emperor
Montazuma the Aztec
empire conquered many
villages around current day
Mexico
When they conquered the
village they would make the
village become part of the
Aztecs
This is why they became so
large
Moving to Tenochtitlan
• Most of the
conquered empires
began moving to
Tenochtitlan and the
city became large
• During the time of
Montzmuma the
Aztec Empire
became huge
Aztec Society
• Aztec Society was
centered around a
Caste System
• It was led by an
emperor but your
social status was
determined by your
lineage or who your
parents were
• Noble
• Commoner
Nobles & Commoners
• If you were a noble you
were believed to be a
descendent of
Quetzacoatl the wind
god of religion
• If you were a commoner
you were not a
descendent of any god
City Structure
People lived in Calpulli which were their towns
Many Calpulli make a Altepetl which was like a
small city
All of the Calpullis & Altepetl made up
Tenochtitlan
Education
The Aztecs required all children
to be educated
Their parents were responsible
for educating children up to age
14
After age 14 children would go to
telpochcalli or calmecac
Calmecac- priest, teacher,
healer
Telpochcalli- history, military,
trade skill
Tenochtitlan becomes Huge
• Tenochtitlan became
enormous
• At it’s height their were
believed to be a
minimum of 250,000
people that lived there.
Some say more than
1,000,000 people may
have lived there
The Fall of the Aztec Empire happened
under Montazuma II
The Aztecs fell as a result of the Spanish
Conquest to the Americas
We will go over that tomorrow though
Important Points
• 6.G.2- Using different maps &
charts we can see that the Aztec
Civilization was located in
Mexico
• 6.G.1- Lake Texcocco was a
huge geographic factor that
influenced the success of the
Aztec Civilization
• 6.G.1- Lake Texcoco was the
reason Aztecs were able to
grow Corn in their Chinampas
which they traded for other
things
• 6.C&G.1- The Aztecs had a
Caste system led by an
emperor. In a caste system your
social status depended on you
lineage (your parents)
• 6.C&G.1- Aztecs were either
Nobles or commoners with
Nobles thought to be
descendents of the Religious
god Quetzalcoatl
• 6.C.1- Aztecs made human
sacrifices to their gods