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The Aztec Empire
"The city has many open squares in which markets are continuously held and the general business of buying
and selling proceeds. One square in particular is twice as big as that of _____________ and completely surrounded
by arcades where there are daily more than sixty thousand folk buying and selling. Every kind of merchandise
such as may be met with in every land is for sale there, whether of food, or ornaments of gold and sliver, or lead,
brass, copper, tin, precious stones, bones, shells, snails and feathers; limestone for building is likewise sold there,
stone both rough and polished, bricks burnt and unburnt, wood of all kinds and in all stages of preparation.
There is a street of game where they sell all manner of birds that are to be found in their country, including
hens, partridges, quails, wild duck, fly-catchers, widgeon, turtle doves, pigeons, little birds in round nests made
of grass, parrots, owls, eagles, vulcans, sparrow-hawks and kestrels; and of some of these birds of prey they sell
the skins complete with feathers, head, bill and claws."
The March to Tenochtitlan-1519
Short Response: Restate Question and Answer.
What country do you believe the author
of the passage is from?
What is the passage’s theme?
Observations and Inferences Chart : Aztec Market
2 Observations
2 Inferences
EARLY AZTEC HISTORY
When the Aztecs saw an eagle perched on a cactus on the marshy land near the southwest border of Lake
Texcoco, they took it as a sign to build their settlement there. They drained the swampy land, constructed
artificial islands on which they could plant gardens and established the foundations of their capital city,
Tenochtitlán, in 1325 A.D. Typical Aztec crops included maize (corn), along with beans, squashes, potatoes,
tomatoes and avocadoes; they also supported themselves through fishing and hunting local animals such as
rabbits, armadillos, snakes, coyotes and wild turkey. Their relatively sophisticated system of agriculture and a
powerful military tradition would enable the Aztecs to build a successful state, and later an empire.
THE AZTEC EMPIRE
By the early 16th century, the Aztecs had come to rule over up to 500 small states, and some 5 to 6 million
people, either by conquest or through trade. Tenochtitlán at its height had more than 140,000 inhabitants, and
was the most densely populated city ever to exist in Mesoamerica.
Bustling markets such as Tenochtitlan’s Tlatelolco, visited by some 50,000 people on major market days, drove
the Aztec economy. The Aztec civilization was also highly developed socially, intellectually and artistically. It
was a highly structured society with a strict caste system; at the top were nobles, while at the bottom were serfs,
indentured servants and slaves. The Aztec faith shared many aspects with other Mesoamerican religions, like
that of the Maya, notably including the rite of human sacrifice. In the great cities of the Aztec empire,
magnificent temples, palaces, plazas and statues embodied the civilization’s unfailing devotion to the many
Aztec gods. The Aztec calendar, common in much of Mesoamerica, was based on a solar cycle of 365 days and
played a central role in Aztec society.
AZTEC WARFARE
Aztec society was rigid, stratified class system in which each class (or caste) had a roll designed to support
the Aztec warriors. Warfare was thus the main driving force of both the Aztec economy and religion. The
Aztec Empire was organized with a strong central government headed by the emperor. The priests and
warriors castes came next, they were made up of nobles who enjoyed a high status in Aztec society. These
warriors formed a professional core in Aztec armies and were ranked according to their achievements on
the battlefield. The bulk of Aztec armies were made up of levies, commoners required to serve time in
compulsory military service. Every Aztec male was a warrior and received basic military training from a
young age, whether trader, craftsman or farmer. In fact, military achievement, particularly the taking of
prisoners, was the only vehicle for upward social movement available for commoners.
Discussion Questions
Early Aztec History
1.) How did the Aztec alter their environment in order to adapt?
2.) What is a similarity between the Iroquois and the Aztec?
The Aztec Empire
3.) How was Aztec society structured?
4.) What is a similarity between the Aztec and Maya?
Aztec Warfare
5.) What was the driving force of the Aztec economy?
6.) How was the Aztec military different than our military?
Aztec Tea Party Activity
1) Fact: The Aztecs played sports and were a very artistic people.
Despite the idea in the popular mind of Aztecs being savages, they were a very artistic
people. Aztecs were into pottery and sculpting and created many different artistic
drawings as well. They designed art for their warriors that were then often applied as
tattoo’s to honor them for their accomplishments; they also had a love for poetry.
The Aztecs also played team sports, specifically a game very popular among them called
Ullamaliztli. The game utilized a rubber ball, which was a fairly advanced concept for
their time and was played on a court called a Tlachtli. The object of the game was to get
the ball through a small stone ring; however, it was an extremely difficult game to play.
The ball was not supposed to hit the ground, and players could only touch it with their
head, elbows, knees and hips.
2) Fact: The Aztecs had mandatory schools separated between boys and girls.
While the Aztecs put strong emphasis on parents teaching their children properly, they
also had mandatory public schooling for all children. Those of a noble class had different
schools to attend and schools were also separated by gender. Boys of nobility would be
sent to the Calmecac School where they learned from the priests about history,
astronomy, art, and how to govern and lead. Boys of lower caste were sent to the
Cuicacalli School, which was much more focused on preparing them for possible service
in the military as warriors. Girls were sent to separate schools and much more of their
education was focused at home where they were taught domestic duties such as cooking
and weaving.
3) Fact: Most Aztecs were actually defeated by disease, not war.
While many may attempt to claim that the Spaniards beat the Aztecs through military
brilliance, this could not be further from the truth. In fact, the original attacks of the
Spanish were thoroughly rebuffed and they had to beat a hasty retreat. The Aztecs
actually had a fairly good chance at beating the Spanish and the overall war was a fairly
close one. It can be easily said that if not for the smallpox contracted from the Europeans
that wiped out so many of them, especially their leaders, that it is extremely unlikely they
would have fallen to the Spanish. The amount of harm caused by European diseases was
tremendous, it is estimated that over twenty million Mexicans died in a period of just five
years due to the diseases brought over by the Spanish.
4) Fact: The name Aztecs was given to them after the fact.
We all know the Aztecs by that name, but it was not actually a name that they ever called
themselves. The Westerners who came up with the name Aztecs likely took it from one
of the original places that the Aztecs lived around the twelve century, called Aztlan,
which was in the Northern part of Mexico. However, the Aztecs themselves actually
referred to themselves as Mexica, which is actually where the name for the country of
Mexico originally came from.
5) Fact: Aztecs had an advanced system for writing and keeping records.
The Aztecs had their own language and it was called N’ahuatl, the alphabet for this
language was a form of picture writing. Knowledge on how to write things down was
very specialized and was mostly performed by learned scribes and priests, who had the
needed training. Records were kept on paper made of bark, or deer skin. The writing was
usually performed using charcoal and then colored with vegetables and other substances.
They kept tax records, historical records, kept information written down in regards to the
religious sacrifices and other ceremonies and even wrote poetry. Sometimes they put
their writings together in a sort of makeshift book that they called a codice.
6) Fact: Because the Aztecs lived on a swamp, they created Floating gardens to grow
their crops.
When Cortez discovered the Aztec Empire in the year 1519, he found 200,000 people
living on an island in the middle of a lake. Tenochtitlan was the biggest and best-fed city
in the world, and this fortress city was completely surrounded by water.
To feed their enormous population, the Aztecs ingeniously built chinampas, or floating
gardens, to convert the marshy wetlands of Lake Texcoco into arable farmland. These
floating gardens were a masterpiece of engineering.
Each garden was 300 feet long by 30 feet wide. To make a garden, workers weaved
sticks together to form a giant raft, and then then piled mud from the bottom of the lake
on top of the raft to create a layer of soil three feet thick.
The rectangular gardens were anchored to the lake by willow trees planted at the
corners. Each garden was lined on all sides by canals to allow canoes to pass with
workers and materials. This network of gardens extended for 22,000 acres across the
surface of the lake.
7) Fact: Aztecs would often sell their own children into slavery.
It was not at all uncommon in Aztec society for someone who was poor to sell their own
children into slavery. Not only that, but many Aztecs would also sell themselves into
slavery. In many cases someone would go bankrupt and feel that they had no way out,
selling themselves or their children into slavery would give them some income and if
they worked hard they might eventually be able to buy their way back out again. Some
remained slaves most of their lives, which isn’t surprising because being a slave among
the Aztecs was not that bad. You could get married, have children and own your own
land.
8) Fact: The Aztecs had a unique system for slavery.
Slavery among the Aztecs was much different than that of the Europeans and followed
much different rules. Slaves children were not automatically property, and slaves could
own possessions and even own other slaves. If a slave could present themselves in a
temple, they would be freed, or if they could break away from their master and step on
human excretion outside the market. If a slave tried to run away, only the master or his
relatives were allowed to chase after them. Slaves were even able to buy their own
freedom. The system for slavery among the Aztecs was quite unique, and much more like
indentured servitude than most modern ideas of slavery.