Transcript The Fall of the Aztec Empire

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The Fall
of the
Aztec
Empire
By: Remie Adams
AP Euro
Period 6
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Background
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The Aztecs originated in Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th, and 16th century.
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They were very good refined workers, merchants, farmers and fishers.
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They worshiped the many gods of the sun, and their Aztec god that was
a “form of energy in one way or another”.
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In Mexico a triple alliance was formed between Tenochtitlan, Texcoco,
and Tlacopan. Over time Tenochtitlan became the most powerful which
then became the heart of the Aztec Empire.
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They defended their territory and later conquered control over the
Mexican basin.
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The Rise of the Aztec Empire
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Aztec formed their empire in 1427 that was based in Tenochitlan.
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The Aztecs would conquer many different cities that were not always
next to each other . They didn’t always directly govern these different
conquered cities and would allow the local governments to remain in
place, but would force them to pay varying amounts.
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This empire would conquered power over many cities throughout
Mesoamerica and dominated a majority of their society.
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The Aztecs kept expanding due to their trade and military conquest.
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They surrounded many colonies to gain power and became very
controlling using military forces.
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They began conquering cities as far south as Chiapas and Guetemala
and expanding from the Pacific to Mexican Gulf.
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Map of the Aztec Empire in 1519
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The Fall of the Aztec Empire
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The maximum extending of the empire was in 1519, as the Spanish led by
Cortes started to arrive.
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Cortes found the weakness of the Aztecs and rounded up about 40,000 native
people plus his 600 armed men to rebel against the Aztecs.
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The many communities the Aztecs had control over, despised the Aztecs and
wanted freedom. They formed an alliance with the Spanish and worked
together to over take the Aztec empire.
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Not much after the Spanish arrival, most Aztec cities were conquered, and a
siege of Tenochtitlán begins.
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The fall of the empire was not only caused by the Spanish conquest but also
by the many tribes they had earlier conquered and surrounded.
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In August 1521, The last Aztec emperor, Cuauhtémoc, surrenders to Cortes.
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The End