Transcript The Fall of the Aztecs - Beavercreek City Schools

The Fall of the Aztecs
Brought to you by your teacher, and
guide, Mr. Enneking
Fall of the Aztecs
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This is where our journey begins.
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Present day Mexico City, Mexico
Fall of the Aztecs
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We must go back in
time, far back in time,
to the year 1519.
This was the time of
the Aztec Empire.
Fall of the Aztecs
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Let’s take a closer look.
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http://www.ancientmexico.com/content/m
ap/index.html
Fall of the Aztecs
Tenochtitlán-Aztec Capital
 Man-made island in the middle of Lake
Texcoco.
 These islands were called “chinampas.”
 City reached by three great causeways-or
earth bridges.
 Population of over 350,000 people
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Fall of the Aztecs
Fall of the Aztecs
Aztec Emperor was Moctezuma
 He lived in a palace with 100 rooms, 100
baths, walls of marble, and rare stone, and
courtyards filled with singing birds, flowers and
fountains.
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Tenochtitlán
Moctezuma
Fall of the Aztecs
Moctezuma was in his palace when his
messengers arrived with astonishing
news: a small army of men and animals,
like no men or animals seen before was
now standing on Aztec soil.
 If you were Moctezuma what would you
do?
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Fall of the Aztecs
Moctezuma is stumped. Here’s why….
 Prophets had said the god Quetzalcoatl
(ket-zal-KOH-a-tul) would come from the
east to take back the land that was his.
Guess which year they had predicted his
return.
 Yup, you guessed it, the same year these
new strangers arrive.
 They believed these men to be gods.
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Fall of the Aztecs
These men were not gods, they were
conquistadors, from Spain.
 Conquistador- Spanish conquerors/
explorers who sailed to the Americas to
obtain gold, silver, and other treasures.
 They were led by a man named:
Hernando Cortés. Duh, Duh, Dunnn….
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Hernando Cortés
Fall of the Aztecs
Cortez makes
landfall in 1519.
Fall of the Aztecs
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The strange creatures
that these men rode
upon were something
the Aztecs had never
seen before….
Horses.
Fall of the Aztecs
Thinking Cortés was a god Moctezuma sent
him gifts of gold and precious jewels.
 This, as some highly intelligent intellectual
might tell you, was a boo-boo.
 Cortés was not here to make friends, he was
here for conquest, and, well, let’s face it, gold.
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Fall of the Aztecs
Cortés decides to
follow the gold. His
men weren’t too sure
they wanted to follow
him into this unknown
territory.
 Being the great
diplomat, and leader
that he was, Cortés
burns his ships, so his
men have to follow.
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Fall of the Aztecs
Cortés, and his 400 men march toward
Tenochtitlán.
 As Cortés marches he gathers other angry
natives who dislike the Aztecs. They are
jealous of the power, and wealth, they
also don’t like one other thing about
them………
HUMAN SACRIFICE!!!!!
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Fall of the Aztecs
Fall of the Aztecs
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It’s a long march and Cortés and his men
pass the active volcano, Popocateptl.
(poh-puh-ka-TEP-tul)
Fall of the Aztecs
When they reach Tenochtitlán Cortés and
his men are dazzled.
 They see gardens floating in the lakes,
houses with patios and fountains, and, in
one of Moctezuma’s palaces, a private
zoo. A pyramid, the Templo Mayor, towers
above the scene. Tenochtitlán is not only
beautiful, but clean.
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Templo Mayor
Fall of the Aztecs
Cortés is welcomed into Tenochtitlán by
Moctezuma. He realizes now that they are not
gods, but he tries to please them, so they will
go away.
 Cortés has other plans entirely.
 Cortés and his men take Moctezuma prisoner in
his own palace.
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Fall of the Aztecs
A huge battle breaks out.
 The Spaniards have the advantage.
 Why?????
 They have guns.
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Fall of the Aztecs
The Spaniards also bring something else..
 Smallpox
 This is a disease that kills if not treated. Many
Aztecs die.
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Fall of the Aztecs
Moctezuma is killed. 
 The Aztecs fight well, but are defeated.
 Cortés burns Tenochtitlán to the ground.
 Cortés fills in the lake, and builds a
Catholic Church on the place where the
Templo Mayor once stood.
 He proclaims Tenochtitlán a Spanish
possession.
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Fall of the Aztecs
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Cortés sends
boatloads of gold and
riches back to Spain
from the Aztec
Empire. The few
Aztecs left are
servants to the
Spanish. So falls the
Aztec Empire.
Fall of the Inca
The Incas lived in what is now Peru-So
we’re talking South America.
 They were an advanced civilization in the
new world.
 However, one man would change that.
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Fall of the Inca
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Francisco Pizarro
Fall of the Inca
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In 1532 Pizarro arrives to the Inca civilization
with 180 men, 67 horses and 3 big guns.
Pizarro captures the Inca Ruler and demands a
room full of gold for his return.
The Inca comply but Pizarro kills the ruler
Atahualpa anyway. 
Pizarro’s men fight amongst themselves and
Pizarro himself is killed.
However, they conquer the Incan empire.