Changes

For food they used plots of floating land called chinampas, which were made from soil dredged from the bottom of the lake.  They grew mostly corn and some squash and beans.  They traded gems, cacoa (chocolate), and animal skins.  They were more powerful than their neighbors and even formed a “Triple Alliance” with the city-states of Tlacopan and Texcoco to keep peace.  The Aztecs had very little bureaucracy and did not maintain a standing army.  There was no reason to, as soldiers could be summoned as needed.

For food they used plots of floating land called chinampas, which were made from soil dredged from the bottom of the lake.  They grew mostly corn and some squash and beans.  They traded gems, cacoa (chocolate), and animal skins.  They were more powerful than their neighbors and even formed a “Triple Alliance” with the city-states of Tlacopan and Texcoco to keep peace.  The Aztecs had very little bureaucracy and did not maintain a standing army.  There was no reason to, as soldiers could be summoned as needed.

The Aztecs funded their activities based on mandatory tributes, and they would sacrifice people (including their enemies) with greater frequency than prior civilizations.  For example, the Aztecs worshiped a war god named Huitzilopochtli, to whom the Aztecs sacrificed prisoners of war.  They felt this helped their future with the gods.

The Aztecs funded their activities based on mandatory tributes, and they would sacrifice people (including their enemies) with greater frequency than prior civilizations.  For example, the Aztecs worshiped a war god named [[Huitzilopochtli]], to whom the Aztecs sacrificed prisoners of war.  They felt this helped their future with the gods.

Montezuma II was the ruler when the Spanish arrived and conquered the Aztecs in 1519.  Historians feel that the Aztecs had already been weakened internally, partly due to their demands of tribute and human sacrifice.  The Spaniards, under Hernando Cortes, crushed the Aztecs in 1521 and destroyed the Aztec capital at Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City).  Cortes founded Mexico City as the new capital.

Montezuma II was the ruler when the Spanish arrived and conquered the Aztecs in 1519.  Historians feel that the Aztecs had already been weakened internally, partly due to their demands of tribute and human sacrifice.  The Spaniards, under Hernando Cortes, crushed the Aztecs in 1521 and destroyed the Aztec capital at Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City).  Cortes founded Mexico City as the new capital.