History of the Aztecs

The Aztecs were a powerful group of people who lived in central Mexico during the 1300s, 1400s, and early 1500s. They called themselves Mēxihcah. Their grand capital city was Tenochtitlan, built on a raised island in the middle of Lake Texcoco. Today, the city of Mexico City stands where Tenochtitlan once was.

For many years, the Aztecs were under the control of another group ruled by a leader named Tezozomoc. But after his death, a new ruler tried to control nearby cities, which led to troubles and conflicts.

Eventually, the Spanish arrived in the early 1500s, led by Hernán Cortés. With help from some native groups, they used smart tactics and diseases to defeat the Aztecs. Their powerful empire came to an end in 1521.

Arrival in the Valley of Mexico

In the Valley of Mexico around 1250 AD, many city-states existed, such as Chalco, Xochimilco, Tlacopan, Colhuacan, and Azcapotzalco. The strongest were Culhuacan on the south shore of Lake Texcoco and Azcapotzalco on the west shore.

The Mexica people arrived in the Valley of Mexico as a wandering group and found most places already settled. Around 1248, they first lived on Chapultepec, a hill with many springs. Later, they were forced to leave and settled in Tizaapan in 1299, where they mixed with Culhuacan culture.

In 1325, the Mexica moved to a small island on Lake Texcoco and began building their city, Tenochtitlan. They created a large artificial island for it. The Aztecs believed their god Huitzilopochtli told them to build their city where they saw an eagle on a cactus with a snake in its talons, which is now on the Mexican flag. Another group settled on the north side of the island, forming the city of Tlatelolco, which later became part of Tenochtitlan. In 1376, the Mexica chose their first leader, Acamapichtli, following traditions from Culhuacan.

Aztec Triple Alliance

Main article: Aztec Triple Alliance

The Triple Alliance of Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan grew to control a large area from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific coast. Tenochtitlan led the military efforts, while Texcoco and Tlacopan handled other tasks. Over time, Tenochtitlan became the most powerful city in the alliance. When the alliance collected taxes, two-fifths went to Tenochtitlan, two-fifths to Texcoco, and one-fifth to Tlacopan.

The first leader of the Triple Alliance was Itzcoatl. With his partner Nezahualcoyotl, he expanded the alliance’s lands toward the south, taking over cities like Cuauhnahuac (now Cuernavaca) and areas such as Huexotla, Coatlinchan, and Tepoztlan in what is now Morelos. Nearby cities around the lakes, such as Xochimilco, Culhuacan, and Mixquic, were also brought under control.

Two key figures in building the Aztec Empire were Tlacaelel and Moctezuma I, who were brothers. Moctezuma I took over after Itzcoatl in 1449. He reconquered towns that had rebelled and expanded into new areas, including Huastec lands and the Mixtec region. Later, he moved into Totonacan cities like Vera Cruz, taking places such as Xalapa and Tuxpan.

Tlacaelel helped shape the Aztec Empire strongly. He promoted the idea that the Aztecs were a special people chosen by their gods and raised the importance of their main god, Huitzilopochtli. He also created rules to separate the noble class from common people.

Moctezuma I’s son, Axayacatl, became leader in 1469. He added the kingdom of Tlatelolco to Tenochtitlan and conquered towns west of the Valley of Mexico. Later, he faced a big loss against the Purépechas at Tzintzuntzan. His brother Tizoc took over in 1481 but struggled to win new battles and was replaced.

When Moctezuma II became leader in 1502, he expanded the Empire further south. By the time the Spanish arrived in 1519, the Aztec Empire was at its largest size.

Fall of the Aztec Empire

Further informationon the conquest of Mexico by Spain: Spanish Conquest of Mexico, Siege of Tenochtitlan, and Hernán Cortés

The Aztecs were conquered by Spain in 1521 after a long siege of their capital city, Tenochtitlan. Many people there suffered and died because of hunger and a disease called smallpox. Hernán Cortés led the Spanish forces, but he also had help from many local allies, including up to 150,000 or 200,000 people from Tlaxcala and other places that did not like the Aztecs. Cuauhtémoc, the last leader of the Aztecs, surrendered to Cortés on August 13, 1521.

It took many more years for the Spanish to fully control the region, with wars lasting nearly another 60 years. Some diseases helped the Spanish in their efforts, including a rare type of fever that affected many native people. The Spanish and their allies continued their campaigns for a very long time, with the conquest of Yucatán taking almost 170 years. The Tlaxcalans, who helped the Spanish, benefited the most at first, though the Spanish later ended their alliance.