Transcript Aztecs -per1

By: Laurence, Jarrad, Grant,
Cameron B., Chase, and Matt.
Geography of Mexico
• Mexico is a rugged
mountainous land
• It has two major
mtns. Ranges that
form a V with a
plateau in the
middle
Central
Plateau
Climate of Mexico
• Northern Mexico is mostly arid or lacking
rainfall
• Most rainfall lies in the southern half of the
region
Early Settlement
• The Valley of Mexico was first settled by
farming peoples
• They settled down and formed a number
of small city-states
• The last people to arrive were the Mexica
who arrived from Aztlan
• We call these people the Aztecs
Aztec Empire
• They settled in Mexico in 1325 and called
their settlement Tenochtitlan
• The Aztecs had a reputation as fierce
warriors and mercenaries, or soldiers for
hire
• They believed their chief god had told
them to settle in Tenochtitlan, a small
island in the middle of Lake Texcoco
Tenochtitlan
• The island was ideal for farming and rich
in food
• They created floating gardens called
chinampas
• On these gardens they planted corn,
tomatoes, potatoes, chili peppers, and
squash
• The island was good for travel, transport,
and defense
Aztec Expansion
• Early 1400’s they started to expand
• They joined two other city-states in a pact
called the Triple Alliance
• By 1440 they had an empire that included
most of the Valley of Mexico
• They were rarely defeated in battle
• They used wooden shields, cotton
padding, and favored a spiked club
The Empire at its Height
• The Aztec empire reached its height under
Moctezuma, covered most of central
Mexico and was home to around ten
million people
• When Spanish invaders came into the
Valley of Mexico they were surprised to
see the cities and villages built on water,
however their arrival started the downfall
of the Aztecs
Aztec Empire
Aztecs Weapons
Aztec’s Chinampas