latin america unit lecture 2

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Lecture: The Aztec #2 34 Lands of the Aztecs 35 Origins of the Aztec The Aztec were a band of hunter- gatherers from northwestern Mexico that entered the Valley of Mexico around 1300 AD After 200 years of wandering they settled on a marshy island in the middle of Lake Texcoco. While the island provided a natural defense from nearby tribes, the swamp did not provide any vegetation other than swamp algae; (also fish and birds) 38 Harvesting “spirulina” or algae 36 The founding date of Tenochtitlán was 1325 A.D. The Aztecs extended the swampy island several miles in each direction by driving stakes into the lake bed around an area and lashing the stakes together then filling the enclosure with mud dredged up from the lake bed. The space between the enclosures then served as canals which facilitated the transport of material within the city.

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Page 1: Latin America Unit Lecture 2

Lecture: The Aztec

#2

34

Lands of the Aztecs

35

Origins of the Aztec

• The Aztec were a band of hunter-gatherers from northwestern Mexico that entered the Valley of Mexico around 1300 AD

• After 200 years of wandering they settled on a marshy island in the middle of Lake Texcoco.

• While the island provided a natural defense from nearby tribes, the swamp did not provide any vegetation other than swamp algae; (also fish and birds) 38

Harvesting “spirulina” or

algae

36

• The founding date of Tenochtitlán was 1325 A.D.• The Aztecs extended the swampy island several miles in each direction by

driving stakes into the lake bed around an area and lashing the stakes together then filling the enclosure with mud dredged up from the lake bed.

• The space between the enclosures then served as canals which facilitated the transport of material within the city.

Page 2: Latin America Unit Lecture 2

37

Tenochtitlan is known as: The “Venice” of the Americas Tenochtitlan

“Gazing on such wonderful sights, we did not know what to say, or whether what appeared before us was real, for on one side, on the land, were great cities, and in the lake ever so much more… crowded with canoes”

-Bernal Diaz

Tenochtitlan

•By 1500, the city population was over 250,000 people. –The largest in the world at this time.(paris/london 100k)

•The high population was due to Aztec farming advancements. –Chinampas: floating islands for crops

40

Aztec Chinampa or Floating Garden: 20 ft. wide by 300 feet long

Page 3: Latin America Unit Lecture 2

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Tenochtitlan - Chinampas Government•Unlike the Mayans, the Aztecs only had one king or ruler (no city-states) –This cuts down on internal conflict –More efficient government

•King chosen by priests and nobles •Aztecs were intent on expanding their empire.

–By 1500, the Aztecs collected tribute from 500 different city-states

Aztec Social Classes Ahuitzotl r. 1486 - 1502 AD

• From 1486 until his death in 1502, he led Aztec armies in conquest throughout Mexico and Central America. He launched lightning-quick attacks that took his enemies by surprise.

• Ahuitzotl also oversaw the completion of the pyramid of the Great Temple

Great Temple

Page 4: Latin America Unit Lecture 2

Moctezuma II 1502-1520

- Under his rule, which lasted until 1520, the empire reached its greatest size, with a population of about 25 million people. - Most of the wealth of the empire was made up of tributes paid by conquered tribes. - Many tribes were forced to give up so much of their food as tribute that they lived on brink of starvation. - The ruthless tactics of the Aztec helped them build an empire. But their ever-increasing demand for tribute, led to deep resentment among subject tribes.

Burdened by Religion• Aztec society suffered under a tremendous burden

of a religion which held that the god of the Sun needed to be fed human hearts in order to make the daily journey from east to west.

• This meant that the Aztecs needed to wage nearly constant war to capture sacrificial victims. Thus in their warfare the Aztecs tried not to kill their enemies in battle but to take them alive.

• This religious burden drained labor away from productive enterprises and required substantial effort and resources be devoted to supplying the army with weapons and sustenance.

Bloodletting and Ritual Sacrificebloodletting - the intentional removal of blood for spiritual or health related purposes.

The Aztecs believed in a series of vengeful gods who demanded sacrifice to remain happy.

Fertility god(Xipe Totec) - shot with arrows

Fire god - newly weds burned alive

Earth goddess - female flayed and skin worn by priest

Aztecs Sacrifice Neighboring Tribes to the Sun God

Aztec religion worshiped many gods.

Priests were extremely powerful in society

Quetzalcoatl was the most important god to the Aztecs