Tenochtitlan and the Aztecs

Paper Summary:

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. "

More papers on Tenochtitlan and the Aztecs:

• Essay # 63809 : "Traditions and Culture of the Aztecs"
• Term Paper # 95419 : "The Aztec Civilization"
• Research Paper # 1171 : "The Aztec Capital "Tenochtitlan"

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