American Civilizations

       The Valley of Mexico had many natural resources, which helped the Aztecs prosper. It had several large, shallow lakes at its center, fertile soil, and many other natural resources. These advantages brought the people of Teotihuacán and the Toltecs to the area.The Aztecs began as nomadic people from the harsh deserts of northern Mexico. They adapted to local ways in the Valley of Mexico, finding work as soldiers and even rulers. According to Aztec legend, Huitzilopochtli, the god of sun and warfare, told the to found a city of their own. The Aztecs found a place on a small island in Lake Texcoco, the center of the valley. They founded their city in 1325 and named it Tenochtitlán.  The Aztecs joined with two other city-states, Tlacopan and Texcoco, to form the Triple Alliance. The alliance became the leading power in the Valley of Mexico and soon gained control over neighboring regions. This contributed to the success of the Aztec civilization because they controlled a vast empire by the early 1500s. The empire stretched from central Mexico to the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and south into Oaxaca. The empire was divided into 38 provinces. They based their power on military conquest and the tribute they gained from their conquered subjects. The Aztecs demanded tribute, such as gold, maize, jade, cotton, cacao beans, and other items. If local rulers failed to pay tribute, the Aztecs destroyed the rebellious villages and captured or killed the inhabitants. Military leaders made up the Aztec noble class along with priests and government officials. Many nobles owned large houses. The two other classes of Aztec society were the commoners and slaves. Commoners included merchants, artisans, soldiers, and farmers who owned land. The lowest class, the slaves, were captives who did many different jobs. The emperor was the top of the Aztec social pyramid. The Aztec social class could have led to the success of the civilization because it provided a definite social status for all people, but it also could have led to the decline because the slaves could have rebelled because of their poor placement in society.Tenochtitlán was an Advanced Aztec City, which became an amazing urban center. Tenochtitlán was on its own island site, so Aztec engineers built three raised roads called causeways over the water and marshland. It was amazing that these ancient people could built roads such as the causeways with the materials they had and were developing. Tenochtitlán also included streets and broad avenues, canals, which provided transportation not only for the people but also for merchants. Canoes brought goods to the huge market of Tlatelolco. Tlatelolco helped the Aztec economy thrive because foreign civilizations (and nearby civilizations) would come their to trade produce. Tenochtitlán also had chinampas, farm plots built on the marshy ends of the lake, which were productive and provided large amounts of food for the large population. This was efficient farming. At the center of Tenochtitlán was a large, walled complex, filled with temples, palaces, and government buildings. The Great Temple was located inside. This pyramid was dedicated to the sun and rain gods and served as the center of Aztec religious life, which was another success factor of the Aztec civilization. People came to the temple as tourism, which brought money to the Aztecs.