The Aztec Empire and stories of conquest

The Aztec Empire was an alliance of three Nahua city states that ruled in and around the Valley of Mexico from 1428 until Spanish conquistadores and their native allies defeated them in 1521. The lessons consider how conquest unfolded and how its stories shape what readers understand about the empire. They connect the course of conquest with the ways its history was told.

2 articles, 1 video, 1 book · about 45 min of reading and viewing

The reading path

1. Read
   

   the rise and fall of the aztec empire · Wikipedia · 37 min read

   Native historical accounts say Tlacaelel instigated the Flower Wars to appease the gods during a massive drought that gripped the Basin of Mexico from 1450 to 1454. Mostly waged between the Aztec Empire and Tlaxcala, the wars were pre-arranged to collect prisoners for sacrifice, part of the conquest-era practice of capturing live prisoners. Mexica military achievement was linked to sacred responsibility, as prisoners supplied sacrificial rituals that the Mexica believed were necessary to sustain divine favor.

2. Read
   

   A Rare Aztec Codex Detailing the Rise and Fall of Tenochtitlan Returns to Mexico for the First Time in Nearly Two Centuries · Smithsonian Magazine · 3 min read

   The Aztec Empire fell two years after Spanish conquistadors led by Hernán Cortés arrived in Tenochtitlan with horses and guns in 1519.

3. Watch
   

   Aztec Empire | World History | Khan Academy · YouTube · 5 min watch

   Tenochtitlan built the tributary Aztec Empire through the Triple Alliance in the 15th century. Hernando Cortez later conquered the empire.

4. Book
   

   The Conquest of New Spain · Bookshop.org

   The Conquest of New Spain by Bernal Díaz del Castillo reports on the conquest from a follower of Hernando Cortez, describing how a small group of Spaniards was able to defeat the mighty Aztecs and lay claim to their territory and treasures for Spain.

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