Aztecs


 * **The Aztecs, Part 1**
 * By Jane Runyon ** ||  || [[image:http://www.edhelperclipart.com/clipart/edhelp1.gif width="142" height="50"]] ||

 1 When historians write of the Aztec civilization, they are actually referring to a merging of several tribes of natives. The largest tribe was called Mexicas (Muh-**hee**-kas). It is thought that this tribe originated in the northern part of what is now Mexico. Some scientists think they may even have come from the southwestern section of the United States.

 2 Over the years, people have researched where the word Mexica might have come from. Some say that the name came from an old Nahuatl word for the sun. Others suggest that it was the name of an ancient leader of the tribe named Mexitli. Still others think it comes from the name of a weed which grew near Lake Texcoco. The word Aztec was used to denote all of the people linked to the Mexicas by trade, custom, or religion. The word translates to "someone who comes from Aztlan."

 3 The people in the Mexica group spoke a common language. This language was called //Nahuatl// (**NAH**-wah-tuhl). Over the years, people began to refer to all the peoples as Aztec. Many words from the Aztec language have survived into modern times. Mexico, avocado, and chocolate are words that had their beginnings with Aztec.

 4 The combined Mexicas tribes came to Mexico in the 1100's. For many years they looked for a place to build a city. One of their priests told of a dream he had. In this dream, the priest saw an eagle sitting on top of a prickly pear cactus. The eagle had a snake in its mouth. He told the people that he believed that this dream was a sign from their most important god. One day, a group of Mexicas came to a swamp that had several small islands in it. This lake would become known as Lake Texcoco. The year was 1325.

 5 These Mexicas had heard the prophesy of the eagle for years. When they looked at one of the islands in the swamp and saw an eagle sitting on a cactus with a snake in its mouth, they believed that the prophesy had come true. The Mexicas gathered at the spot and built their capital city. The town became known as Tenochtitlan. A series of bridges and causeways were built to connect the islands in the swamp. The city could be defended from enemies by taking up the bridges. Access to the city was treacherous without the bridges.

 6 The merged tribes lived together in the city. They elected a leader. This leader was not the all powerful leader seen in Europe at that time. The leader of the Aztec people was selected by a group of elders. Leaders did not inherit the title when their fathers died. The leader had to discuss all decisions with the elders and the priests. This changed somewhat in the 1500's when Montezuma II became the leader. He did away with the council of elders. He didn't take complete control, however. He still consulted with some of the elders before he made big decisions.

 7 It was Montezuma II who was leading the Aztecs when Hernan Cortez landed on the southeastern shore of Mexico in 1519. The city of Tenochtitlan was several hundred miles away. Cortez had heard about cities of gold. He was determined to become a rich man by conquering these cities of gold. When he landed on the shore of Mexico, he heard about the city to the west and decided that it would be his target. To be on the safe side, Cortez made friends with small tribes he met along the way. He knew that these tribes were the enemy of the Aztecs. He decided that he needed all the help he could get.

<span class="vlib4_rcompfont"> <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica;">8 Cortez heard about more than the gold in Tenochtitlan. He heard about the human sacrifices. He heard that enemies were captured in battle instead of being killed. They were brought back to the capital city. There they were either turned into slaves or killed to satisfy the hunger of the Aztec gods. One story was told of 84,000 sacrifices being made in a four day period to appease the gods.

<span class="vlib4_rcompfont"> <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica;">9 Cortez showed up at the Aztec capital and was surprised to be welcomed as a guest. What he didn't know was that a priest had had another dream. In this dream, one of their gods had come to the city disguised as a bird. When Cortez and his men showed up in full armor with large feathers on their helmets, the Aztecs decided that they must be the gods that the priest had seen.

<span class="vlib4_rcompfont"> <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica;">10 By June of 1520, the Spanish had overstayed their welcome. Fights broke out among the Spanish soldiers and the citizens. The Spanish massacred many citizens including Montezuma II. They fled the city for their own safety. They returned the next spring and cut off all means of access to the city. This is called a siege. There was no way for the people of the city to get supplies. They had to depend on what supplies they had. They were able to hold out until August of 1521. At that time, the Spanish entered the city and completely destroyed it.

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