SOCIAL STUDIES >> WORLD CULTURE. The Amazing Aztecs. The Mighty Aztecs

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1 PASSAGE 1: Web Site The Mighty Aztecs The Aztecs were once the most powerful people in Mexico. Who were they, and what was their culture like? Read on to find out more. Where did the Aztecs live? The Aztecs were a tribe of people from what is now northern Mexico. After many years of wandering, they settled in central Mexico in the 14th century. When they arrived there, they spotted an island in a marshy lake. They began building a town on the island. Over the next 200 years, it became a great city called Tenochtitlán (tuh-nohsh-tay-tlahn), the capital of the powerful Aztec Empire. The Aztecs were excellent builders. They built large temples in the heart of the city. The Emperor lived in a huge palace, and many noble families lived nearby. Ordinary families lived in tiny houses made of mud bricks. How did the Aztecs create an empire? They formed a strong army and conquered many neighboring tribes. The Aztecs needed gold and other riches to support their ruler and nobles. They demanded tribute, or taxes, from the tribes they conquered. People paid because they were frightened of the Aztecs. The Aztec Empire grew large and wealthy. It covered a large region of what is now Mexico. Many conquered tribes did not feel loyal to the Emperor, however. They were angry with the Aztecs for their harsh rule. Page 1 of 7

2 What was daily life like The Aztec capital was a large and busy city. People traveled in canoes along canals that ran through the city. The central market was always a bustling place. Historians think that the population might have reached a quarter million. Most Aztecs were farmers. Since the island was small, they had to create land to farm on. They built floating gardens in shallow parts of the lake. These were made of large reed mats with mud piled on top. The farmers sank posts around the mats to keep them from floating away. Then they planted crops on them. They grew maize, squash, peppers, and many other vegetables. What did Aztec kids do? The children of farmers worked on the farm. Children whose parents had other jobs helped with those, too. Some boys and girls went to school. Those from noble families studied to become leaders. All boys studied warfare. Their first toys were wooden weapons given to them by their fathers. They served in the army when they turned 17. Girls learned from their mothers at home. Most girls learned to weave at the age of 5. What did the Aztecs achieve? The Aztecs had a very advanced understanding of astronomy. They kept track of the planets and could predict eclipses of the sun and moon. They used what they learned to create an accurate calendar. It had 365 days just like the calendar we use today. When they arrived in the 1500s, the Spanish were amazed by Aztec architecture. The temples and palaces were unlike anything the Spanish had ever seen. They also admired the Aztecs beautiful sculpture and art. Page 2 of 7

3 What happened to the Aztecs? In 1519, a Spanish general named Hernán Cortés came to Mexico in search of gold. His small army defeated the Aztecs. He had help from many conquered tribes who hated their rulers. The Spanish destroyed most of the capital city, and they built a new one called Mexico City. That was the beginning of a Spanish colony in Mexico. The Spanish ruled for many years. Today, Mexico City is the capital of Mexico. It stands on the ruins of the ancient Aztec capital. Page 3 of 7

4 PASSAGE 2: Magazine Article Hero or Traitor? A Mexican woman helped Spanish soldiers destroy the Aztec Empire. Did she save her people or betray them? In 1519, Hernán Cortés led a band of about 500 Spanish soldiers into the Mexican jungles. His goal was to conquer the Aztecs and claim their gold. To reach their capital, he had to get past hostile tribes ruled by the Aztecs. Then he had to battle fierce Aztec fighters. Still, in less than two years, he succeeded. A mighty empire fell to a tiny force of foreigners. How did he do it? Cortés believed he had a single Native American woman to thank. We owe this conquest to Doña Marina, he wrote. Doña Marina When Cortés arrived in Mexico, Marina was a slave. She belonged to a chief who ruled a tribe at the edge of the Aztec Empire. Unlike other chiefs, this one chose not to fight the Spanish. He allowed Cortés to pass freely through his lands. He also gave Cortés 20 slaves as a gift. One of them was Doña Marina, as the Spanish called her. Marina immediately made herself useful to Cortés. She already spoke the language of the Aztecs. She quickly learned Spanish. She soon became a translator and close advisor to Cortés. Marina accompanied Cortés through the jungle toward the Aztec capital. Along the way, Cortés and his men battled local tribes. The tribespeople fought hard. Their spears and clubs were no match for Cortés s cannons, though. After he defeated them, Marina helped him communicate with the chiefs. Through her, he learned that most of them despised their Aztec rulers. Page 4 of 7

5 The Aztecs had built a great empire by conquering these tribes. Once they were in control, tax collectors visited the tribes regularly to demand gold and crops. They also took young villagers away as prisoners. Cortés realized that these tribes were ready to rebel against the Aztecs. Through Marina, he was able to convince many of them to join him in fighting the Aztecs. In the end, she helped Cortés recruit thousands of warriors. After several bloody battles, Cortés and his Indian allies defeated the Aztecs. By 1521, their empire lay in ruins. The Spanish conquest of the New World had begun. Ghosts of the Past Today, Doña Marina is both hated and loved in Mexico. Some people believe she was a brave hero. After all, she helped to free people from the Aztecs. Many others call her a traitor for having helped Cortés. The Spanish conquerers, they say, turned out to be worse than the Aztecs. They made slaves of many people. They brought smallpox and other diseases. Some 20 million people lived in Mexico when the Spanish arrived. In the following years, nearly three quarters of them died. Marina was also known as La Malinche (lah mah-leen-chay). This name is used as an insult today. A malinchista is somebody who loves foreigners, or a traitor. The house Marina lived in still stands in Mexico City. Few Mexicans ever visit it, though. They have mixed feelings about the woman who helped Cortés 500 years ago. Page 5 of 7

6 PASSAGE 3: Journal Entry Hot, Spicy Cocoa! Cocoa is supposed to be hot. The Aztecs liked it extra hot as in spicy hot. In this journal entry, a fifth grader describes how she learned about the Aztecs favorite drink. December 29 Dear Diary, We re on the plane back home. I m sad to be leaving. It was great to spend the holidays with my Mexican uncles, aunts, and cousins. Yesterday was hot. I was looking forward to hanging out in the hotel pool with my cousins, but Aunt Elena had other plans. She said nobody should leave Mexico City without seeing the Great Temple Museum. Mom and Dad were up for it, of course. They re always taking us to museums. I prefer goofing around in swimming pools. Guess who had the final word. That s one aspect of family vacations that I don t like. We walked to the Zócalo, Mexico City s immense central square. That s where many Aztec temples stood before the Spanish tore them down. The museum is next to the ruins of the biggest one the Great Temple. I thought the museum might be boring, but I was in for a surprise. One artifact really caught my eye. It was a beautiful golden cup. Our guide explained that the Aztecs used the cup for drinking their favorite chocolate drink. Was it like hot cocoa? I asked. That s my favorite drink! I can t get enough hot cocoa on a cold winter s day. Page 6 of 7

7 The guide said the drink was thick and chocolaty like cocoa. He said it was hot too, but not in the way I meant. It was hot as in spicy. He also said that it wasn t made with milk the Aztecs didn t have cows. They didn t have sugar either, so it tasted bitter. I thought it sounded pretty gross, but it got worse. He explained how the Aztecs made the drink. They started with cocoa beans, just like today s chocolate makers do. First they roasted the beans. Then they ground them into a paste and stirred in water and cornmeal. Cornmeal?! Other ingredients included hot chili peppers and spices. Finally they whipped the mixture up into a thick froth. The drink was called xocolatl (shoh-coh-lah-tuhl). That s where we got the word chocolate. In the Aztec language, xocolatl means foam water. Foamy water that tastes bitter and spicy yuck. I like my hot cocoa with milk, sugar, and nice foamy whipped cream not cornmeal and spices. It s hard to believe that they loved theirs, but they did. Some historians say that the Aztec Emperor, Montezuma, sometimes drank 50 cups a day. Why did he drink so much of it? The Aztecs believed that cocoa beans were a gift from the gods. They thought that the chocolate drink would give them wisdom. Only rulers, priests, and warriors were allowed to drink cocoa. Ordinary people weren t missing much, in my opinion. The Spanish took cocoa beans back to Europe, and eventually chocolate became popular there. Of course, people altered it. They added sugar. They made chocolate bars, too. If it weren t for the Aztecs, though, we might not have chocolate at all, and that would be tragic. The pilot said it s snowing at home. I can t wait to sit by the fire with a big cup of cocoa. I wonder: If I put chili peppers in it, will it make me wise? Page 7 of 7