Abstract This paper examines the defeat of the Aztecs by the Spanish conquistadors. It considers the significance of military technology, religious beliefs and the Aztec lack of resistance to Old World diseases, with the last being the most crucial factor in the conquest.
From the Paper "The defeat of the Aztec Empire by a couple of hundred Spanish conquistadors under Cortez is one of the most dramatic and one-sided wars of conquest in history equaled perhaps only by the contemporary..."
Abstract This paper discusses the Aztec practice of human sacrifice and cannibalism. It explains this practice and explains how widespread the practice was. It explores the Aztec belief in the religious significance of human sacrifice.
From the Paper "The Aztecs were constantly at war with neighboring tribes and groups. One goal of this warfare was to collect prisoners for human sacrifice. It is estimated that the Aztecs sacrificed approximately people per year. The best known of these religious sacrifices involved taking captives to the top of a temple pyramid where their hearts were cut from their chests. The bodies of the victims were then tossed down the steps of the pyramids. As gruesome as this is, many people believe that human sacrifice in the Aztec ..."
Abstract This paper examines how early in the fourteenth century, the Aztec people arrived in the Valley of Mexico and how they rose from squatters to mercenaries to become the dominant state in pre-Columbian Mexico. It also looks at how Tenochtitlan, their capital city, flourished until 1519, with the arrival of the Spaniards and how eventually, the entirety of Aztec civilization was brought to its knees by the Spanish invaders.
From the Paper "As the Aztec people rose to become a more successful state through military conquests, they also improved upon farming methods. They converted the highly fertile marsh lands into the largely successful chinampa system. They piled rows of mud and other materials, dug canals in between the raised piles, then planted willow trees around the perimeter to fortify their gardens. The results were long, rectangular patches of land, known as chinampas surrounded by marshy water which resembled floating gardens. The farmers would regularly apply soil from the bottom of the canals to the surface of the chinampas to rejuvenate the nutrients of the gardens. "
Abstract This paper traces the origins and developments of the Aztec Empire from their humble roots in southern Mexico. The author traces their developments over some 1000 years.
From the Paper "The Aztecs were Central American Indian people who invaded central and southern Mexico and took control. As they grew in political status, they became sophisticated and civilized, learning from established peoples who had been town dwellers for more than 1,000 years. There are many myths and legends concerning these people called the Aztecs (Mayo 49). Some people describe the pyramids they built, the wars they waged and the human sacrifices they made. It has been said that their Emperor Montezuma was terrible and savage in his deeds (49). The Aztecs had a great civilization with a wealthy and diverse history. Fortunately, much of this history was preserved and recorded for us by early priest, conquistadors, Spanish chroniclers, and the Aztec themselves (49). "
Abstract This paper looks at how the Aztec people took their religion very seriously and how they were one of the first groups of people to make up their own calendar and how they worshiped hundreds of gods and goddesses. It discusses some of their beliefs and rituals and evaluates how the importance of the gods and goddesses as well as the importance and significance of calendars are incorporated into these religious beliefs.
Outline
The Religion of the Aztecs Introduction
The Aztec Calendar System
Aztec Beliefs
Primary Gods
Rites and Ceremonies
Conclusion
Works Cited
From the Paper "Aztecs worshiped in temples that were either round or shaped like pyramids (Gregoire, 2003). Many of these temples had special areas that were used for games and other forms of offerings. These included special courts for playing ball games, and an area with sacrificial stones. The Aztecs normally followed a ritual of purification, then offering, then sacrifice. They believed that sacrifice was intrinsic to the worship of the gods, and that it was a necessity because there could be no new life without death. Death was part of the great circle of life, and the Aztecs had opinions about what happened to a person when they died. According to the Aztecs, where you went in death depended on what you had done in life (Perkin, 10)."
Abstract This paper tries to understand the business practices and trade cultures of the Aztecs by looking at the environment in which the Aztecs lived, worked and raised their families. The paper briefly discusses the Aztec's ability to maintain their fundamental beliefs and practices relating to internal business affairs and trade despite Spanish colonization, as well as the natural geographical environment of the Mesoamericans and how this helped in creating innovations in farming and agriculture. The paper compares traders and merchants of the Aztec empire to today's merchants and also analyzes how the various economic systems and business practices that the Aztecs practiced, though primitive, allowed the various market sectors and regions to come together to create an extraordinarily dynamic economy.
From the Paper "Like many other Mesoamerican civilizations, the Aztecs relied heavily upon a variety of markets and business merchants to transport goods and commodities from the producer to the consumer. In this instance, the word "markets" does not connote what we today refer to as global and/or national markets, such as a country like Japan producing and marketing automobiles, televisions and audio equipment. Thus, "markets" refers to a physical space, such as a marketplace or agora as found in ancient Greece where buyers and sellers came together to exchange goods and services under the auspices of the reigning king or emperor."
This paper describes the unique civilization of the Aztecs, who lived in the land known today as Mexico and were conquered by the Spanish much like the Incas and the Mayas.
Abstract This paper explains that the Aztecs were known as "the people of the sun", which captures the meaning placed on the sun by the Aztecs and their way of life. The author points out that one interesting belief of the Aztecs, from their oral teachings, is their adaptation of the Nativity, as found in the Christian Bible, which the Aztecs called the "Spirit Child" and was recited accompanied by drums. The paper relates that one of the most mighty leaders of this civilization was Montezuma (1502-1521), who was an extraordinary builder; however, one week after the arrival of the Spanish, Emperor Montezuma was captured and the Spanish had gained total control of this great civilization.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Adaptation of the Nativity
Conquering Tenochtitlan
Montezuma
Everyday Life
Characteristics of the People
Religion
Human Sacrifice
Spanish Conquest
From the Paper "Everyday life in this city was also spectacular and unlike any day in present times. They awoke every morning to the sound of the giant drums. They would bathe in the canals of the city and the women would begin to make corn cakes for the day, today known as tortillas. They rarely ate breakfast, and would immediately set out to the fields to work. .... All of Aztec life depended on the peasant farmer. He had to grow all of the basic foods of the nation; corn, beans, peppers, and squash. This he did with no expensive machines, or extra workers, and he produced the same amount of crops that the southern sharecropper makes today."
Abstract This paper reviews and discusses the history of the Aztecs and the development of the Aztec society. According to the paper, the Aztecs were not the first great civilization that inhabited the region of today's Mexico, but settled after many former cultures had passed and left their influence hundreds of years before the empire was built. The paper reports that like other cultures, the Aztecs started as a small group of people that managed to achieve power and riches through hard work and a vision of the future.
From the Paper "The lowest stage of society was a kind of peasant that was not allowed to have properties, was bound to the land of the nearby nobles and had the task of working it, in exchange for a portion of the harvest. A lower stage were the slaves, less in number and that achieved such condition only if they were war prisoners, had debts or committed crimes. A slave was similar to a paid servant. The children of the poor people could be sold as slaves, but it was usually for a determined period of time. The slaves had the right to buy their freedom."
Abstract The paper outlines the history of Aztec civilization. The paper explores several aspects of Aztec civilization including basic life/family life, government, religion, warfare and the economy of the Aztec people.
Outline:
Introduction
History of Aztec Civilization
Basic Life and Family Life
Government
Religion
Warfare
Economy
Conclusion
From the Paper "For the Aztec civilization family structure was a very important part of life. Marriage was an important aspect of life in Aztec civilization. For the most part women married as teenagers, while men were a bit older when they married. The marriages were usually arranged. It was not uncommon for men to have more than one wife but the first wife and her children were the only ones that could inherit wealth or become successors if the family was of Noble status.
"Upon becoming married, a couple was given land and a home was built. Pregnancy and Childbirth were also seen as a significant and symbolic time during marriage. The Aztec people related childbirth to a war. According to the article during pregnancy the baby was viewed as one being held captive by the womb. Childbirth was seen as a struggle and the baby was viewed as victorious when finally born. Childbirth was also seen as a struggle or battle for the mother and women who died in childbirth were honored in a way that was similar to a warrior who died in battle."
Abstract The great Aztec civilization was so foreign and so utterly isolated from other world civilizations, that, when the Spanish conquistadors first saw it, their emotions were a mixture of awe and horror. They were awed by the artistic, technological and social advances they witnessed; but they were horrified by their pagan ways, the human sacrifices and the cannibalism they saw. This paper examines the origins of the Aztecs, and examines this civilization in terms of mythology, agriculture, craft and religion. It also traces the destruction of the Aztecs by the Spaniards in the 16th Century.
From the Paper "As limited as the land devoted to producing maize was, animal sources of nutrition were even harder to come by. "Dogs, turkeys, and the Muscovy duck were the only domesticated animals in ancient Mesoamerica. All were used for food, but they made only a minor contribution to the Aztec diet." (Smith 2003:63). This situation is most closely analogous to the rice crop of eastern Asia, and contrasts sharply with the ancient West, where numerous animals were domesticated on a large scale for the purposes of nutrition. By virtue of their dependence upon maize, the Aztecs developed some of the most advanced farming techniques in the world."
Abstract This paper discusses various forms of Aztec works of art, including those from a recent find, on exhibit at the Guggenheim Museum. This paper looks at how the works of Aztec art counter historical views of the Aztec culture.
From the Paper "The culture of the Aztecs was primarily forged from the culture of their predecessors the Olmecs, the Toltecs and the inhabitants of Teotihuac. The Aztecs flourished as a civilization for two millennia before being decimated by smallpox and the Spanish conquest led by Cortes. In order to justify the systematic destruction of the Aztecs, the Spanish often represented them as a barbaric and savage culture. However, artworks uncovered in archaeological expeditions have uncovered the inaccuracy that such an assumption represents as the totality..."
This paper addresses the effects of the European exploration on the Aztec Natives of Latin America, looking specifically at the history of the land and the reasons for European exploration.
Abstract The following paper looks at a brief historical view of the Aztecs, their origin and culture. The paper then discusses the Age of Exploration, the countries involved and what areas were explored. Effects of European exploration on the Aztec race, religion, land and labor are also discussed with their eventual and gradual disappearance. The writer restates all the fundamental points and the lessons learned during his research to conclude the paper.
From the Paper "History is exclusively neither an art nor a science, but a subtle blend of the two. The historical imagination reaches beyond the limits imposed by scientific method, but it does not enjoy unfettered poetic license. What is not required of art is required of history - to discover what the old universe was like rather than to invent a new one. We study the past in order to influence, no matter how modestly, the world around us and the world within us. Historical inquiry is always a response to the human need for information, an understanding of the broad patterns of social development." (History, 2001)
A descriptive essay showing through fictitious newspaper articles and other media sources the Spanish conquest on Mexico and the character of the local Aztecs.
Abstract The author of this paper uses an original style to produce this essay which brings across the story of Spaniard Hernan Cortez's conquest of Mexico and the local Aztecs with which he fought. By conducting an 'interview' with the Chronicler Juan de Pomar and Hernan Cortez and writing an article about Cortez's success in the Mexican conquest, the paper gives an overall picture of the events of the 1519 era and the culture of the Aztec people.
From the Paper "Montecuhzoma allowed Cortez and his men into Tenochtitlan, which was not his normal policy of caution. Great diplomatic overtures were made on both sides, and at first the two warring parties almost seemed as though they might find peace.
Unfortunately that was not to be. The Spaniards were coarse, ignorant of local customs, and rude. They cared little for protocols and pleasantries. In the end, this disregard for the Aztec culture may have been what created their successful attacks and eventual takeover of Tenochtitlan- while the Aztecs were sacrificing warriors to their gods during battle, the Spaniards were killing them off in large numbers."
This essay is a critique of the book "The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of America", edited by Miguel Leon-Portilla; showing its unique manner in relating historical events.
Abstract This paper presents a critique of this book which tells the Aztec peoples? account of the Spanish conquest of Mexico. The paper examines the way in which, throughout history, the conquest has been told from the viewpoint of the conquistadors ?- the Spanish victors. "The Broken Spears" was the first book to tell the story of the conquest from the Aztecs? perspective. The writer shows the difference between "The Broken Spears" and other history accounts whereby this book is not about historical data gathering but, rather, is of the storytelling and human emotion behind the Spanish conquest.
From the Paper "Hernando Cortes? army arrived in Mexico in the early 16th century and defeated the Mexicans in relatively short order.
Cortes had originally been sent to Mexico by the Cuban governor to search for gold, but when he was asked to withdraw and return to Havana, he gathered 11 ships and 600 troops and made his way to Mexico.
"Previous Spanish expeditions had been sent to Mexico as early as 1517, but Cortes was a very powerful, persuasive leader and was able to rally the troops, so to speak. Also, the Indians turned out to be very susceptible to the Spaniards? superior weapons, as well as the new European viruses such as smallpox, chicken-pox, and measles. Of crucial importance was the Aztec leader's (Moctezuma) indecisiveness about Cortes? motives and confusion as to whether Cortes? arrival was a spiritual arrival or a spiritual sign ? a major mistake. Finally, the Mexican Indians were internally divided and there was much internal resentment about the Aztec domination in Mexico. Therefore, the Tlaxcaltecs and others ? the Aztecs? enemies ? became the Spaniards? allies."
Examines Jacques Soustelle's book "Daily Life of the Aztecs" about the splendor, mystery and majesty of the Mexica people on the eve of Spanish conquest.
1,583 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 0 sources, 2002, $ 51.95
Abstract This paper focuses on the various and varied sources used by Soustelle in his book in which the author provides a multi-perspective account into the daily life of the Aztecs. Soustelle draws upon original source documents from surviving texts and materials. He cites surviving Aztec documents such as the Codex Azcatitlan, Cronica Mexicayotl, and the Mapa Tlotzin; Soustelle also cites numerous Spanish sources written at the time of conquest.
From the Paper "The Introduction to Daily Life of the Aztecs provides historical context and background to the ideas, issues, and facts Soustelle presents in the book. The author begins by reminding the reader that the Aztecs were only one of many Mexican civilizations that flowered since the third millennium, BCE. Furthermore, Soustelle notes that the Aztecs themselves conquered other cultures on Mexican soil to eventually attain dominance of the region. The area in question is Mexico-Tenochtitlan, or the valley now known as Mexico City. Because Aztec life during the fifteenth century was largely urban in nature, Soustelle is also able to hone in on the specifics of city life. This makes the material extremely accessible to modern readers, who can relate to many of the aspects of daily life depicted in Soustelle's book. The introduction also clarifies the source documents. The Aztecs were dedicated to chronicling their culture, as they were proud and self-conscious people. Their language was a sophisticated set of figurative and phonetic pictographs. Unfortunately, after conquest, most of the Aztec writings were destroyed. The Spaniards, when they first encountered the Aztec people, deemed them immoral savages incapable of producing anything of true worth. Soustelle does a great job of emphasizing the horrendous nature of the conquest, even as he is able to describe some of the more brutal activities the Aztecs themselves engaged in. Soustelle's account is honest but not without opinion"
