Aztec Empire and Early American Empires Overview

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Aztec Empire

• And South America overview

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Migration

• Some people from the river valley civilizations
  to form other civilizations.
• Early civilizations traded with each other.

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Early American Civilizations

• Mayas (1000 BC 900 AD) Central America
• Aztecs (900 1521) Mexico
• Incas (1400s 1531) - West coast of South
  America

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Map
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Accomplishments

• Traded with others
• Glyphs for writing
• Aztecs and Incas built empires
• Calendars
• Maya a number system that even had a symbol for
  zero

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Decline

• Uncertain what happened to the Mayas
• Hernando Cortes (Spain) defeated Aztecs in 1521.
• Francisco Pizarro (Spain) defeated Incas in 1531.

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Azteca - Mexican Geography

• The Valley of Mexico is a basin about 7,500 feet
  above sea level
• The valley included lakes and fertile soils for
  planting

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Aztecas Early city state

• The first major civilization in Mexico was the
  Teotihuacan
• It was just outside of Mexico City
• About 1 AD the city began to see rapid growth
• The reason that the Americans did not grow as
  much before was because all Native Americans have
  roots from Russia and crossed into Alaska then
  down into South America

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Cont.

• At Teotihuacan's peak in the 6th century (500s)
  had a population of about 200,000 people, making
  it one of the largest cities in the world
• Similar to Egypt, there was Pyramids in the heart
  of the city, however they were not used to bury
  the dead Kings but rather honor their gods

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cont.

• Do to the cities large population, the city
  became a major center of the Americas for trade
  between empires, kingdoms and city states
• Of the most important trade items was a green or
  sometimes black volcanic glass that could be used
  to make weapons
• While the city never tried to conquer its
  neighbors to make an empire, do to their trade of
  various crops from the fertile soil, tools and
  weapons the city had much cultural diffusion

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Fall of Teotihuacan

• It is unknown why the city fell
• It is possible it was because of a civil war
• It is also possible that it was because of
  invasion
• No matter the cause, by 750 AD the city had fallen

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Toltecs take over

• After Teotihuacan fell no city or empire
  controlled Mexico until 900 AD, 150 years after
  Teotihuacans fall
• The Toltecs built a capital for an empire that
  would last for 300 years
• Falling their ancestors, they had the similar
  religious and cultural beliefs of the people from
  Teotihuacan due to Cultural Diffusion

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Unlike their ancestors...

• Unlike their ancestors however, the people from
  Toltec wished to build an empire and made their
  chief god the one of war
• Sacrifices became common of conquered peoples
• Around 1000 AD, a King named Topiltzin tried to
  change the religion of his subjects
• He encouraged the worship of a god, translated to
  English named the Feathered Serpent

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Rebellion

• Many of the King's subjects rebelled forcing him
  and his loyal subjects to move to the Yucatan
  Peninsula
• While there he influenced the culture of the
  Mayans
• After the Rebellion the Toltecs power greatly
  declined and by 1200 AD the Empire had fallen

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Yucatan Peninsula
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Effects of the Toltecs

• By the mid 1200s almost all of the effects of
  the people of Toltec was gone
• Some parts of the Religion, like sacrifices would
  remain
• One effect that did remain was the religion of
  the snake god, which would remain a legend in
  Aztec culture

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Birth of the Aztec Empire

• Around 1200 AD, the Aztecs (traveled to the
  Mexican valley
• There they learned from some of the small
  city-states left after the collapse of the
  Toltecs
• At this time the Azteca were called the Mexica, a
  small nomadic group from North Mexico
• Upon arriving in the Mexican valley they would
  learn how to plant from the left over city-states

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Work

• Many of the Aztecs were able to get work as
  soldiers - for - hire
• It is tradition that the god of War told the
  people to found their own city
• They did so on a small island of Lake Texcoco in
  1325, naming it Tenochtitlan

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Aztecs grow stronger

• Over the years the Aztecs slowly increased their
  power and population
• In 1428, they merged their city-state with the
  city states of Texcoco and Tlacopan
• By the early 1500s they controlled a large
  empire over 80,000 square miles across modern day
  Mexico
• The empire was divided into 38 provinces and is
  estimated to have had a population of between 5
  and 15 million

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Military Power

• Their power was based off of their military might
  and the ability to make their conquered subjects
  submit
• Similar to the Persians, they allowed loose
  control over each province, allowing local native
  rulers to govern local affairs
• They did however demand payment such as gold,
  corn, cocoa (their delicious version of coins),
  cotton, jade and other products
• If payment was not given by local farmers, the
  village would be invaded

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Emperor

• His power was absolute
• At times he would consult with the nobels
• He lived in a large palace with maids and wives
• Even Nobles would take off their shoes went
  seeing the Emperor and were not allowed to look
  upon him
• The Emperor was of course at the top of the
  social pyramid

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Nobles

• Nobles ruled Aztec society
• Nobles were military leaders who shared power
  with government officials and priests
• They had vast estates and similar to the lords of
  Europe, they lived luxurious lifestyles

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Commoners

• Included artisan, farmers, merchants and
  soldiers, fishermen, government workers, etc.
• They owned their own property
• The merchants were the highest part of the
  Commoners because they controlled the price of
  traded goods
• Women were in this class, if not slaves

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Enslaved Peoples

• Were usually rebellious to Aztec rule, and were
  taken from their homes to one of the major 3
  cities
• The slaves would have been seen doing any jobs
• Slaves children were free when born and go to
  school
• Could buy freedom from their master
• Taking from their ancestors they also sacrificed
  slaves to the sun god
• Of course they were at the bottom of the pyramid

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Aztec Children

• All children had to go to school
• They also played many games including one called
  Tlachtli which was played with a 8 to 10 pound
  rubber ball, with children wearing a clay belt
  and hitting the ball into poles
• Board games were also common
• Wheeled toys were made for children despite not
  using wheels for transportation

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Tenochtitlan Population

• Was an extremely urban city, with a population
  estimated to be up to 400,000 but at least
  200,000
• It was larger than any European capital, even
  larger than London
• As they city grew it remained on the island but
  needed to be connected to the mainland where
  Texcoco was

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Need to build a bridge

• To connect the mainland and the island, which
  would go over marshland and water Aztec engineers
  had to come up with a new method
• They decided to build three causeways raised over
  the marshland
• There was bridges in the causeways to allow for
  boats and canoes to pass through

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The process of building the causeways

1. They drilled stakes into the bed of the lake and
   swamp
2. Laid stones for a foundation
3. Clay and mud were put around the stones

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Transportation

• Streets were used to connect the mainland cities
  to outlying urban trade centers
• Goods carried by land would have to be carried by
  lamas or usually by humans
• Canones along with the causeways carried people
  between the mainland and Tenochtitlan and across
  the coast, this was the easiest way to travel

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Trade

• Canoes brought in goods from across the empire to
  the center markets to trade in Tenochtitlan
• Goods such as peppers, tomatoes, beans, corn,
  squash, and of course avocados etc. would have
  been traded
• Carved goods would also have been sold

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Planting

• Because of limited space on land Aztec farmers
  needed other places to grow their crops
• Chinampas or floating gardens were giant
  floating rafts that were used to grow plants over
  marshes or on lakes
• They were created by weaving together vines and
  putting soil on it depending on where it was put

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Cities

• The center of cities would have had worship
  centers, government buildings and royal palaces
• The worship centers would have been two pyramids
  with twin points at the top dedicated to the sun
  god and rain god

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Religion

• Over 1,000 gods were worshipped
• Ceremonies were at the center of the religion
  with the priest giving sacrifices and performing
  traditional dances and songs
• Festivals to various gods were also held on a
  regular basis

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Problems with the Empire

• In 1502, a new Emperor named Montezuma II was
  crowned
• As the population of the major cities of Texcoco,
  Tenochtitlan, and Tlacopan grew he wanted even
  more sacrifice
• Meaning of the provinces began to rise up against
  Aztec rule, having countless people murdered as
  sacrifices

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Time goes on...

• Montezuma tried to calm the rebellions peacefully
  overtime after the military could not calm the
  rebellion
• He stopped sacrifices and got rid of governmental
  officials but it did not work
• Civil War would not help at all when the Spanish
  arrived in 1519...

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Spanish takeover

• Cortes moved into the capital, getting rid of the
  monarchy which was possible because of the civil
  war and the only part of the empire left was the
  main three cities
• Cortes had to go fight a rival Spanish army
  trying to find gold as Cortes was
• Cortes was soon thrown out of the capital city of
  Tenochtitlan for trying to convert eh coty to
  Christianity

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Spanish takeover cont.

• After fighting the city to stay and losing many
  men who drowned escaping in the marsh after the 2
  causeways were burned, Cortes allied himself with
  the Tlaxcala to defeat the Aztecs
• Cuitlahuac is made Emperor
• In 1521, Cuitlahuac surrenders to Cortes and the
  Aztec Empire was officially over

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Spanish Arrive

• When the Spanish arrived some thought it was the
  snake god returning
• Along with disease from the Spanish killing many
  Aztecs, the Andes Empire would take advantage of
  this and would take over what was left of the
  Aztecs, not taken by the Spanish

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Legacy

• Writing systems left, however were primitive and
  complicated so Spainish would replace these
  languages
• Calendar system
• Understanding of Science, such as there are 365
  days
• Many art forms, which were traded