Rise and Fall of the Aztec Empire Storyboard
Storyboard Text
- The Aztecs are believed to have begun as a nomadic tribe in the northern part of Mexico, later arriving in Mesoamerica and becoming a dominant force there. In central Mexico, they created social, religious, political, and commercial organizations, which brought most of the city-states in the region under their control.
- The Origins of the Aztec
- Aztec Social Service
- We have decided to create organizations to control city-states in the region. Feel free to enjoy them and explore throughout the area!
- The Political Office of the Aztecs
- As the Aztecs were known as the Tenochca or Mexica, their first capital was named after them. Tenochtitlan was built near the southwest border of Lake Texcoco in the swampy lands around there, so they had to drain the swamp and make artificial land to plant crops as well as build the capital city. Crops, fishing, and hunting helped the Aztecs survive in Tenochtitlan and all of it led up to expanding the empire with the powerful military force they had.
- Tenochtitlan
- Expansion of the Aztec Empire
- Itzcoatl joined forces with the Texococans and the Tacubans in order to defeat their rival, the Tepanec. Montezuma I took power after Itzcoatl and he was known as the father of the Aztec Empire, causing them to rule over 500 small states and around 5 to 6 million people by the early 1500s. The economy grew with more people coming to buy items from markets and religious offerings were also given to please the gods, much like other Mesoamerican religions.
- We should work together to stop the Tepanec, in order to ensure peace and advancements for our communities.
- The Arrival of the Spanish
- Almost there! Keep the ships going until I give signal otherwise!
- Cortes vs. Moctezuma
- DANGER IS APPROACHING!!
- The Fall of the Aztec Empire
- FIGHT!!!
- Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba was the first person to visit the Mexican territory, arriving with three ships and about 100 men in early 1517. In 1519, Cortes arrived in Tabasco where he learned about the natives there, being ruled by Montezuma II. In the city of Veracruz, Cortes trained his 400 soldier army in disciplined fighting, later marching to Mexico and forming alliances with other tribes who were at war with Montezuma.
- In November of 1519, Cortes and his 400 soldiers arrived in Tenochtitlan, where they were greeted by Montezuma as honored guests according to the tradition followed by the Aztecs. Montezuma believed in magic and superstitions and before Cortes arrived, there were many signs of doom that appeared. A comet turned night into day, an important temple burned, hunters brought a bird with a mirror that showed strange animals, spies informed them about mountains on the sea, and the men had very white skin with long hair and a beard.
- Almost immediately, Cortes took Montezuma and his lords hostage which helped him gain control over Tenochtitlan. During a dance ceremony, Spaniards killed thousands of nobles and Montezuma died under mysterious circumstances while in captivity, causing his young nephew, Cuauhtemoc, to take over as the next emperor. The Aztecs drove the Spaniards away from the city, but Cortes took help from the native rivals and eventually defeated Cuauhtemoc and the Aztec Empire on August 13, 1521.
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