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). "

Tags:aztec, empire

Abstract
This paper takes a look at the Aztec empire, further examining the ways in which the technological superiority of the Europeans, coupled with sheer good fortune on their behalf, helped them to conquer the Aztecs. First, the paper gives a description of the Aztec's capital city and its living conditions. Then, the author goes on to show the technological superiority of the Spanish, with an emphasis on their firearms, use of steel and of horses. The paper also highlights several incidents of good fortune which made the Spanish conquest less challenging. The paper concludes that the Europeans held important advantages over the Aztecs which resulted in them being able to conquer this part of the New World so effectively.

From the Paper
"It is hard to imagine a city of such grandeur being conquered at all, let alone in a matter of two years by a few hundred men. And yet somehow, Hernan Cortes and a small group of conquistadors were able to defeat the Aztecs and sack their city of Tenochtitlan by means of their advantage technologically and a few lucky breaks along the way. Due to their geographical location, and the trade, resources and interaction with other cultures it afforded them, the Spanish soldiers were equipped with steel, early firearms, and pack animals such as horses. These three items played a large role in the conquest of the Aztec empire."

Tags:Conquistador, Hernando Cortez, Mexico, Tenochitlan, Montezuma, New World

Abstract
This paper examines a period in Mexican history, explaining that the conquest of the Aztec Empire began on April 21, 1519, when a fleet of eleven Spanish galleons appeared off the island of San Juan de Ulua. This military expedition was commanded by Hernan Cortes and consisted of five-hundred and fifty Spanish soldiers and sailors. The paper notes that the superior military tactics and weaponry of the Spanish were a vital factor in determining the outcome of the conflict, but the vulnerability of the Aztecs to European diseases was also significant, for many Aztecs died in the devastating epidemics that ensued after the Spanish arrival because they had no immunity from European viruses and germs.

From the Paper
"Discuss the Conquest of the Mexica Empire, and explain how/why the Spanish were successful. Include the devastation the natives in the New World experienced as a result of European contact. The conquest of the Aztec Empire began on April 21, 1519, when a fleet of eleven Spanish galleons appeared off the island of San Juan de UlAfA a. This military expedition was commanded by HernAfA!n CortAfA(c)s and consisted of five-hundred and fifty Spanish soldiers and sailors. The superior military tactics and weaponry of the Spanish were a vital factor in determining the ..."

Tags:Cortes, Spanish, European, military, galleon

From the Paper
"The period of exploration of the New World was also a period of exploitation as European adventurers and armies encountered the native population and took advantage of that population, robbing the civilizations found here and decimating the population. The Aztecs had a mighty civilization in the New World that was destroyed by the Conquistadors in the name of greed and Christianity. The Aztecs were regarded as uncivilized heathens, and their lands were taken from them, their goods were stolen, and their leaders murdered.

Aztec civilization--and it was indeed a civilization--created its most extraordinary achievements in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. It received a sudden and painful defeat at the hands of the Spanish army in 1519-1521. Aztec civilization flourished in the Valley of Mexico, a tiny area in comparison with the total ... "

Abstract
A documentation of the integral role the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan played in Aztec life - its original purpose and the way the city evolved to become the foundation upon which the Aztec empire was established.

From the Paper
"Tenochtitlan played an integral role in Aztec life, for it served as the hub of all affairs, both inside the city and in neighboring provinces. Built according to the presumed intent of the gods, Tenochtitlan was regarded as a holy city on holy land, being the specific place set aside for them. In this way, Tenochtitlan assumed its important status early on, furthered later as it functioned as the foundation upon which a great and prosperous empire was established. In this later role as it expanded, it gained most of its recognition, becoming more and more noticed and feared by its neighbors; to the Aztecs, however, the religious significance of the city was of greater importance. Moreover, the influence of this religion on the Aztecs was one of the primary reasons for the wars and expansion that made them such a dominant people later on."

Tags:customs, downfall, history, practices, ritual, society, structure

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."

Tags:ancient civilizations, trade culture

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."

Tags:Olmecs, Veracruz, mesoamerica, Teotihuacan, Mixteca, Zapote, Maya, Tabasco

Abstract
The paper focuses on how domestication of animals and resistance to infectious disease were the primary factors responsible for Spanish victory over the Incas and Aztecs.

From the Paper
"In "Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" author Jared Diamond argues that history followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among peoples' environments. These differences included not only geographic and climate distinctions, but also differences in agriculture, animal domestication diseases and disease resistance and the social and bureaucratic institutions these aspects of society helped evolve. If we look at the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs and Incas, we see that such differences were instrumental in leading the greatly outnumbered Spaniards..."

Tags:horses, military, combat, environment, latitude, climate, Montezuma, Cortes, gods, technology

Abstract
This is a descriptive paper on the history and background of the Aztecan warriors. Evaluating how the Aztecs came to be a prominent society, the paper's main focus is on the warriors. The writer argues that Aztecs were largely successful in battle until the spanish conquistadors came to what is now Mexico. Though largely a piece that offers praise to the Aztecan society, it provides much criticism of the Spanish society and their travels. The conclusion to the paper contends that without the advent of the Spanish conquests, the Aztecs may well still rule most of Latin America today.

Outline:
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Background and Overview
Agricultural Techniques of the Aztecs
Trading Empire
Military Tactics and the Aztec Warrior
Conclusion

From the Paper
"The research showed that for almost two centuries, the Aztec Empire ruled supreme in central Mexico by virtue of its superiority in military tactics and the ferocity of its warriors, especially the jaguar and eagle warriors, as well as the meticulous organization of its trade with its neighbors. The Aztecs also demonstrated a special knack for using the resources they had available to their best advantage and managed to produce a surplus of agricultural and other trade products while the land endured prior to the arrival of the Spanish. Indeed, many of the social and trade features of Aztec society resembled those of successful empires of the past as well as industrialized nations today. The Aztecs were pragmatic people, to be sure, though, and were not above resorting to cannibalism when the practice provided certain elite members of their society with some extra protein. The research also showed that the Aztecs recognized their own limitations when it came to who was conquerable and who was not, and would opt to merely tax those whom it believed were not able to be defeated without an inordinate amount of bloodshed on its own part. In the final analysis, had it not been for the arrival of the Spanish, the Aztec empire might well be the dominating force in Latin America today."

Tags:aztec, latin america, mexico

Abstract
This paper is a comparison of the ancient Aztec civilization and the Roman Empire. Similarities and differences in the religions, governments, laws and social class structure of these two societies are examined. A discussion of the causes of any perceived differences between these two civilizations is included.