Aztec Empire Research Paper

The Aztecs were a remarkable civilization. Th is civilization were distrusted and disliked because they tended to push others out of their way. They ruled an empire in Tenochtitlan in the time of 1350 to 1519. They also were known for their agriculture and human sacrifices. Agriculture was a very important part of their h istory because without their farming method the Aztec couldn't have created such great civilization. According to Document A of the Aztec DBQ, states that the Aztec empire grew more than 200 miles west to east, and north to south. Th is means that with the growth of the empire the population also grew and more effective agriculture techniques were needed to feed the people. They created the method of ch inampas because they

The Aztecs were one of the last tribes to arrive in Mexico, in 1195 CE, when they arrived in the Valley of Mexico other tribes had taken the best land so the Aztecs were left with the swampy shores. They soon adapted and began to conquer their neighboring tribes. They continued to expand until they had their very own empire. The empire continued to thrive, until the Spanish arrived and had a fixed mind set on wanting the empires region of land.

     The Aztecs were an American Indian people who ruled a mighty empire in Mexico from the 1400's to the 1500's. The Aztecs had one of the most advanced civilizations in the Americas and built cities as large as any in Europe at that time. They also practiced a remarkable religion that affected every part of their lives and featured human sacrifice. The Aztecs built towering temples, created huge sculptures, and held impressive ceremonies all for the purpose of worshipping their gods. The Spaniards destroyed their magnificent empire in the year 1521, but the Aztecs left a lasting mark on Mexican life and culture .

Religion- Aztecs worshipped Tlaloc(god of rain). He had the control over nature. He can cause floods and drought. The Aztecs were afraid of him because he controlled their living. Human sacrifice was the strongest offering they gave to their gods. They heartily

1.Aztecs believed in sacrificing humans. They believed that if they did not provide enough blood to the gods, the world would end. It is said that the gods when the world was being created that they cut parts of themselves in order to nourish the earth. Aztecs believed that because of their loss of blood they needed to be regiven it through sacrifices dedicated to them. They would sacrifice people every 20 days, which was an Aztec month. Aztecs thought everything is tonacayotl(spiritual flesh hood), which means everything in this world was created from the gods blood, limbs, and fingers. They would perform different sacrifices for different gods. For instance, the god Tezcatlipoca would have a young impersonator sacrificed to him in the month of Toxcatl, this impersonation was given food, women, and was treated like a celebrity. On the day he was killed he would run in the town playing the flute, then he would climb the temple and let the priests sacrifice him.

One of the most advanced civilizations of the ancient world was thriving for centuries in Central America. This empire had built magnificent temples, was plentiful with gold and silver, and was brought to its knees by the Spaniards. The Aztecs. This mysterious, unworldly nation was destroyed in less than a month’s time. The Spaniards, who erased hundreds of years of history and culture, were honored and held in high regard, but at a price. The destruction and carnage that the Spaniards left across the once majestic empire, was the heinous crime of genocide.

Looking back, in 1519 - 1521 the Spanish conquered the Aztec Empire. Hernan Cortes was their leader. By the way, the Totonac and the Tlaxcalans were some alliances of the Spanish. First of all, they were local tribes. In other words, they didn’t like the Aztecs. In fact, they didn’t like the Aztecs because the Aztecs raided their cities for people to sacrifice to their gods. So then, they helped defeat the Aztecs. First of all, the Aztecs let Cortes inside and then Cortes captured their king. During the king’s captivity he was killed. Also, the king’s name was Montezuma ll. Although, the Aztecs didn’t give up until Cortes killed the Aztecs with help from his

The Aztec religion held a major influence on the Aztec society, whether it was cultural or political. The Aztec religion also held great significance to one’s life through the religious rituals which punctuated people’s lives. Due to this, the economy was well organised, due to the fact that they had a ruling class system system which was based on human ability and birth. The Aztec legal system and a strong moral code, which held great importance to families and community life within the Aztec empire.

The Aztec Empire has the history of a fast-growing empire destined to dominate Mesoamerica’s empires. Although their exact origins are unclear, experts believe the Aztecs evolved from a tribe of nomadic hunters (History 1). They conquered nearly all of Mesoamerica, creating an empire stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean and south to present day Guatemala (Mcdowell

The Aztecs were very serious about their religion and it affected every Aztec’s daily life. Their religion revolved heavily around human sacrifices in order to please the gods. Sacrifices to the sun were essential to them because they did not want the sun to burn out on them. They do this because in their religion there was believed to be four other suns which had burned out before the sun we have now. Other than that it united its people and was what shaped the magnificent Aztec empire to what it was.

Who were the Aztecs? Why were they considered to be an empire even greater than the Romans? And how was Hernan Cortes able to defeat them? These are some of the questions that people ask about these indigenous people. These people are known as the Aztecs but originally called themselves Mexica. They came to Mexico in the early thirteenth century and from there they started to develop a social structure and government consisting of priests, kings, peasants, and soldiers. Besides having a very organized society the Aztecs had a very large and intimidating army consisting of full time soldiers and peasants. By 1427 A.D. the Aztec empire became the dominant group and controlled most of central Mexico. Considering how advanced and large the

First off, the people of the Mesoamerican world practiced polytheism or the worship of many gods. William H. Prescott clarifies that the Aztecs believed in a supreme Creator whom they prayed to but to help better understand their world, they created thirteen principal deities with another two-hundred minor deities each with their own festival and holiday. Where at the center stood Huitzilopotchli, the war-god was the patron of the nation. This example introduces beginning of how important religion was to the everyday mesoamerican. Furthermore, the people would be honoured to be offered up to their gods as a sacrifice. Prescott explains that in honour of Tezcatlipoca, a handsome young man ( a captive) was chosen to represent him on earth, and this man then became venerated as the deity himself even where women who were chosen could share his bed with him. The festival would come to an end when the priests would take up to the temple and they would proceed by holding him down on the altar and take a itztli (obsidian blade) and cut open his chest, which was followed by the priest ripping the beating heart out of the man offering it to the deity. The aforementioned example is to illustrate the importance of human sacrifices in the culture and how these religious acts were done to appease or implore the

In 1519 about 500 Spanish men left Cuba and arrived in Mexico. A man named Cortez wanted to claim Spain for himself. Rumors were gold another riches were supposedly found in Mexico. The Aztecs heard of their coming to Mexico so they brought men over to them with the gifts to please them. Cortez realize that they were outnumbered and decided to take some of the Aztec men hostage. This cause controversy but the Spanish came at them with guns and fire. This fighting went on for three months before the Aztec surrendered. The emperor of the Incas came at them with peace but the Spaniards ambush them and killing thousands. This was the fall of the Aztecs and the Incas in the Spaniards came in overruled.

Aztecs used traditional digging sticks and domestic animals to help with labor and carry materials (Easton, 403). The people devised many innovations that helped structure their economy, politics, agriculture, architecture, and hierarchy of class. The Aztecs also developed the Aztec Calendar which one was the 260-day ritual cycle calendar that supervised sacrifices while the other was a 365-day stone secular calendar (Smith, 6). They kept track of most records such as techniques and trades within the Codex Mendoza, a collection of tributes to the empire and conquest of kings and tribes along with the cycle of birth and death. The science and technological innovations led to fields of obsidian tools, new agricultural methods, and building methods (Smith, 6). Tenochtitlan was an area that could not support such growth in the valley, so the Aztecs had to create new ways of growing crops while also relying on tributes. In order to help with this situation, the Aztecs invented the Chinampas a floating garden made in nearby rivers. To keep all this information saved the Aztecs created a writing system based off of pictographs (Smith, 1). With this writing system in place, the Aztecs also invented the idea of mandatory education for everyone. The people that oversaw the pictographs also had a power within their religion since they were part of a higher

The Aztec people had a polytheistic religion. This means that the Aztecs worshiped hundreds of gods,, and they all had a certain role in the