Aric

1
Aric
Aztecs The People of Ancient Mexico

• February 2006

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Religion

• They made many statues of their many gods and
  goddesses. They had 1,600 gods and goddesses.
• They played a game when you hit a rubber ball
  through two stone rings. It was in an I shape
  and it was a ceremony with outcomes that foretold
  the future.
• They believed that their gods needed blood to
  remain strong.

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Government

• They had an emperor who would live a life of
  luxury.
• Sometimes he would have over one hundred wives
  surrounding him.
• Mexican people had to give up 1/3 of everything
  they produced in tribute and taxes to support the
  emperor.

4
Spaniards Come

• Hernan Cortes, a Spanish adventurer, met the
  Aztec emperor Moctezuma in 1519.
• Exchanging gifts brought the two together, but
  religion and greed would soon drive them apart.
• Moctezuma was expecting the Spaniards due to
  mysterious omens telling him of the horrible
  things to come.

5
War with Spaniards

• The Aztecs welcomed the Spaniards because they
  thought Cortes was the God Quetzalcoatl. The
  Spaniards kidnapped Moctezuma by arresting him on
  false charges. During an Aztec festival the
  Spaniards surrounded the Aztecs and killed
  hundreds.

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After that the Aztecs went to the palace where
they were holding Moctezuma. They had to retreat
due to the Spaniardss muskets and cannons. The
Spaniards and their allies, the Tlaxcalans, knew
they could not fight their way out, so they snuck
out of the city, Tenochitlan, during the night.
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The Aztecs Lose

• In the end the Aztecs finally surrendered to
  Cortes.
• The Spaniards would torture the Aztec leaders by
  burning their feet.
• The brave Aztec warriors that protected their
  city were made slaves. They were usually branded
  on the cheek.

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The mighty Aztecs who conquered
many Central American tribes
were crushed by the Spaniards.