The Rise and fall of the Aztecs; Valley of Mexico, 1519. The year 1 reed;

Montezuma most powerful man in the Americas, maybe even the world. From Tenochtitlan he rules over 10 million people. He had nightmares and he read signs, bad signs that troubled him. Signs and dreams were vital to the Aztecs. He could feel disaster approaching but he didn’t know what threatened his empire, he did know everything lived in cycles; growth and fullness were followed by fall. 20 miles to the east there was an abandoned city so magnificent they called it home of the gods, but even that empire had fallen.650 AD Teotihuacan was build. The city was one of the biggest in the world. The city was a monumental work of art. Sun temple was as big as the biggest pyramid in Egypt. When the city fell central Mexico was in chaos. For 200 years this struggle continued until a new cycle began. The Toltec redefined leadership in central Mexico, not by military power but by education in religion. They had a real good system to rule. After less than 200 years that city burned too, but their leadership escaped moving to the valley of Mexico. Their influence was really great. During that same time a nomadic tribe was searching for a homeland, they were Montezuma’s ancestors. The rise of the Aztecs;

Around 1300 those nomads found the valley of Mexico. They were seen as violent barbarians a threat to the stability of the valley. They attacked the nomads killing a lot of them. Instead of being destroyed the flourished. They sold their services as merchants and they were eventually accepted in the valley. The nomads said they wanted to let their leaders daughter marry a lord of the Toltec, but instead they betrayed them with a priest in the girls ‘skin’. The Toltec wanted to get revenge by declaring a full on war against the Machida. The Machida were driven to a swamp where on the swamp island they saw an eagle land on a cactus, which was a prophet to the end of their search for a homeland. This place was called Tenochtitlan. They made roads, and aqueducts miles away, canals were dug for trade wells, and marriages were arranged that brought them honored Toltec bloodlines. Another war broke out, but the Machida won and they called themselves from then on the Aztecs. They expanded their domain for 80 years spreading from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean. They gained lots of advanced trade goods and tributary materials, like golden plates and heavy armors. The elites had two story houses with even gardens, and riches in the storehouses. The entire city was cleaned by thousands of sweepers. Professional traders came to the city with news and trade goods from all over.1519; the invasion of Mexico.

The Aztecs believed their destiny was to rule the world, but Montezuma saw disasters of an old prophet the Aztecs had. Strange men in metal bodies came at the east of Mexico. They were the European people arriving arriving on the gulf coast. “If he comes at the year 1 reed he strikes at the kings”. 1519 was the year of 1 reed so Montezuma knew he was in danger from the old prophecy and the priest they send away from the gulf coast before. Spanish emperor Fernando Cortez had landed in Mexico. Spanish weapons and armor were formidable and Aztec oppression would join the Spanish to conquer Mexico. All they wanted to do is find gold in Mexico. He forced his men to attack. The army moved towards the valley of Mexico. Cortez formed alliances along the way. A state that was never fallen by the Aztec empire named Tlaxcala. Cortez forged his

key alliance in the state of Tlaxcala. 6000 troops from that state joined the Spanish. The Spanish invaded Cholula and the Spanish butchered everyone in that city. 6000 Cholula citizens were murdered. The fall of the Aztecs;

On November 8, 1519, Fernando Cortez arrived at the gates of the city Tenochtitlan. The Spanish were given hospitality and lead into the city. The Spanish were impressed by the city the Aztecs had made, but Cortez took the emperor of the Aztecs hostage. For 5 months they plundered the village from within and held the emperor as prisoner. In April of 1520 the Spanish attacked a group of unarmed religious people because they were forming a treat to the Spanish empire. The Aztecs didn’t want to give up, and since Montezuma was held hostage, they selected his brother as 10th emperor. Under his reign the Aztec fought in their palace against the Spanish. After 30 days Montezuma was killed. The Spanish were trying to secretly leave but they were caught and the Aztecs fought them once again. 3/4th of them died in this battle; Cortez and the remaining soldiers retreated into the mainland. The Spanish left the small pocks under the Aztecs and many of the Aztecs died due to the disease, even the new emperor died of the disease. After the outbreak of the disease the Spanish came back with a new army and fought the Aztecs again. After 2 1/2 months the Spanish won the war. The Aztec empire had fallen but what remained were the people who survived, The Aztec Empire had fallen but that Aztec people lived on.