AZTEC EMPIRE

WHERE THEY LIVED DURING THE PEAK OF CIVILIzATION

• The Aztecs arrived in Mesoamerica around the beginning of the 13th century, and gained control of most city-states by the late 15th century.

THREE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• The Aztecs used spears as weapons and they could get up to 7 feet long with a blade that could get up to a foot long.
• They also created the first chewing gum made out of chicle, which is still one of the first ingredients of gum today.
• Popcorn was also first created by the Aztecs when they would carry mm. I'm,mm kick mmaize around in their pockets, maize being one of their main foods.

CULTURE

• The cocoa bean was treasured by the Aztecs and it was used as both food and currency.
• The Aztecs are best known for their religious beliefs; they believe that it took 5 attempts to creations the Earth, all of which were foiled by the gods fighting about who should be the sun.
• The Mexicas (the Aztecs) had a great affection for animals, and that was shown in their art that wasn't about the gods.
• All of their clothing didn't cover their body, and what it was made of showed your social status.

THE FALL OF THE AZTECS

• In 1519, the ninth Aztec emperor was captured by the Spanish conquistadors, and soon died in custody.
• In 1521, the Spanish completely took over Tenochtitlán and the Aztec empire came to an end.

Differences

• There are still some Mayan groups around today, and the Aztecs were completely wiped out by the Spanish conquistadors.
• The Mayans were around two centuries after the Aztecs (The aztecs were around the 13th-15th century and the Mayans were around the 17th century.)
• The Aztecs were wiped out fairly quickly and the Mayans died out slower.

Similarites

• Both were conquered by Spanish groups.
• The Mayans and Aztecs both lived in Mesoamerica (Middle America.)
• Both had clothing that didn't cover the entire body.

Impact today

• The Aztecs were the first groups to have mandatory education, and their schools didn't matter on skin color or gender, like many schools in the world today.

SOURCES

• “Ancient Aztec Weapon.” Aztec History. E&A, 3 Nov. 2006. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. . Aztec Civilization. BrainPop. BrainPOP, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. . The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Aztec.” Britannica. Encyclopedia, Britannica,Inc., 24 Nov. 1994. Web. 15 Apr. 2015. . Gleeson, Matthew. “Influences on Society.” Aztec Religion. Weebly, 13 Dec. 1999. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. . History.com Staff. “Aztecs.” History. A+E Networks, 20 June 2009. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. . Weebly.com. “The Agressive Aztecs.” Aztecrulz. Weebly, 14 Nov. 2002. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. .