The Fall of the Aztecs

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The Fall of the Aztecs
Brought to you by your teacher, and guide, Mr.
Enneking
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Fall of the Aztecs

• This is where our journey begins.
• Present day Mexico City, Mexico

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Fall of the Aztecs

• We must go back in time, far back in time, to the
  year 1519. This was the time of the Aztec
  Empire.

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Fall of the Aztecs

• Lets take a closer look.
• http//www.ancientmexico.com/content/map/index.htm
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Fall of the Aztecs

• Tenochtitlán-Aztec Capital
• Man-made island in the middle of Lake Texcoco.
• These islands were called chinampas.
• City reached by three great causeways-or earth
  bridges.
• Population of over 350,000 people

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Fall of the Aztecs
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Fall of the Aztecs

• Aztec Emperor was Moctezuma
• He lived in a palace with 100 rooms, 100 baths,
  walls of marble, and rare stone, and courtyards
  filled with singing birds, flowers and fountains.

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Tenochtitlán
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Moctezuma
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Fall of the Aztecs

• Moctezuma was in his palace when his messengers
  arrived with astonishing news a small army of
  men and animals, like no men or animals seen
  before was now standing on Aztec soil.
• If you were Moctezuma what would you do?

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Fall of the Aztecs

• Moctezuma is stumped. Heres why.
• Prophets had said the god Quetzalcoatl
  (ket-zal-KOH-a-tul) would come from the east to
  take back the land that was his. Guess which year
  they had predicted his return.
• Yup, you guessed it, the same year these new
  strangers arrive.
• They believed these men to be gods.

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Fall of the Aztecs

• These men were not gods, they were conquistadors,
  from Spain.
• Conquistador- Spanish conquerors/ explorers who
  sailed to the Americas to obtain gold, silver,
  and other treasures.
• They were led by a man named Hernando Cortés.
  Duh, Duh, Dunnn.

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Hernando Cortés
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Fall of the Aztecs
Cortez makes landfall in 1519.
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Fall of the Aztecs

• The strange creatures that these men rode upon
  were something the Aztecs had never seen before.
• Horses.

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Fall of the Aztecs

• Thinking Cortés was a god Moctezuma sent him
  gifts of gold and precious jewels.
• This, as some highly intelligent intellectual
  might tell you, was a boo-boo.
• Cortés was not here to make friends, he was here
  for conquest, and, well, lets face it, gold.

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Fall of the Aztecs

• Cortés decides to follow the gold. His men
  werent too sure they wanted to follow him into
  this unknown territory.
• Being the great diplomat, and leader that he was,
  Cortés burns his ships, so his men have to
  follow.

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Fall of the Aztecs

• Cortés, and his 400 men march toward
  Tenochtitlán.
• As Cortés marches he gathers other angry natives
  who dislike the Aztecs. They are jealous of the
  power, and wealth, they also dont like one other
  thing about them
• HUMAN SACRIFICE!!!!!

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Fall of the Aztecs
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Fall of the Aztecs

• Its a long march and Cortés and his men pass the
  active volcano, Popocateptl.
  (poh-puh-ka-TEP-tul)

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Fall of the Aztecs

• When they reach Tenochtitlán Cortés and his men
  are dazzled.
• They see gardens floating in the lakes, houses
  with patios and fountains, and, in one of
  Moctezumas palaces, a private zoo. A pyramid,
  the Templo Mayor, towers above the scene.
  Tenochtitlán is not only beautiful, but clean.

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Templo Mayor
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Fall of the Aztecs

• Cortés is welcomed into Tenochtitlán by
  Moctezuma. He realizes now that they are not
  gods, but he tries to please them, so they will
  go away.
• Cortés has other plans entirely.
• Cortés and his men take Moctezuma prisoner in his
  own palace.

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Fall of the Aztecs

• A huge battle breaks out.
• The Spaniards have the advantage.
• Why?????
• They have guns.

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Fall of the Aztecs

• The Spaniards also bring something else..
• Smallpox
• This is a disease that kills if not treated. Many
  Aztecs die.

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Fall of the Aztecs

• Moctezuma is killed. ?
• The Aztecs fight well, but are defeated.
• Cortés burns Tenochtitlán to the ground.
• Cortés fills in the lake, and builds a Catholic
  Church on the place where the Templo Mayor once
  stood.
• He proclaims Tenochtitlán a Spanish possession.

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Fall of the Aztecs

• Cortés sends boatloads of gold and riches back to
  Spain from the Aztec Empire. The few Aztecs left
  are servants to the Spanish. So falls the Aztec
  Empire.

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Fall of the Inca

• The Incas lived in what is now Peru-So were
  talking South America.
• They were an advanced civilization in the new
  world.
• However, one man would change that.

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Fall of the Inca

• Francisco Pizarro

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Fall of the Inca

• In 1532 Pizarro arrives to the Inca civilization
  with 180 men, 67 horses and 3 big guns.
• Pizarro captures the Inca Ruler and demands a
  room full of gold for his return.
• The Inca comply but Pizarro kills the ruler
  Atahualpa anyway. ?
• Pizarros men fight amongst themselves and
  Pizarro himself is killed.
• However, they conquer the Incan empire.