History of the Aztec Empire

History of the Aztec Empire

The center of the Aztec civilization was the Valley of Mexico, a

huge, oval basin about 7,500 feet above sea level. The Aztecs were formed

after the Toltec civilization occurred when hundreds of civilians came

towards Lake Texcoco. In the swamplands there was only one piece of land

to farm on and it was totally surrounded by more marshes. The Aztec

families somehow converted these disadvantages to a mighty empire known as

the Aztec Empire. People say the empire was partially formed by a deeply

believed legend. As the legend went, it said that Aztec people would

create an empire in a swampy place where they would see an eagle eating a

snake, while perched on a cactus, which was growing out of a rock in the

swamplands. This is what priests claimed they saw when entering the new

land.

By the year 1325 their capital city was finished. They called it

Tenochtitlan. In the capital city, aqueducts were constructed, bridges

were built, and chinapas were made. Chinapas were little islands formed by

pilled up mud. On these chinapas Aztecs grew their food. The Aztec Empire

included many cities and towns, especially in the Valley of Mexico. The

early settlers built log rafts, then covered them with mud and planted

seeds to create roots and develop more solid land for building homes in

this marshy land. Canals were also cut out through the marsh so that a

typical Aztec home had its back to a canal with a canoe tied at the door.

In the early 1400s, Tenochtitlan joined with Texcoco and Tlacopan, two

other major cities in the Valley of Mexico. Tenochtitlan became the most

powerful member of the alliance. Montezuma I ruled from 1440 to 1469 and

conquered large areas to the east and to the south. Montezuma's successors

expanded the empire until it extended between what is now Guatemala and

the Mexican State of San Luis Potosi. Montezuma II became emperor in 1502

when the Aztec Empire was at the height of its power. In 1519, the Spanish

explorer Hernando Cortes landed on the East Coast of Mexico and marched

inland to Tenochtitlan. The Spaniards were joined by many of the Indians

who were conquered and forced to pay high taxes to the emperor. Montezuma

did not oppose Cortes because he thought that he was the God Quetzalcoatl.

An Aztec legend said that Quetzalcoatl was driven away by another rival

god and had sailed across the sea and would return some day. His return

was predicted to come in the year Ce Acatl on the Aztec Calendar.