Origins of the Aztec empire
What is the capital city of the Aztec empire?
Tenochtitlan
Identify the social structure in Aztec society.
Emperor, nobles, warriors, commoners and slaves
Maize (corn)
A term meaning belief in multiple gods. The Aztecs believed in over 300 gods.
Polytheistic
Who were the leaders of the Aztecs and Spanish conquistadors during the Spanish conquest??
Montezuma II and Hernan Cortes
Which lake did the Aztec empire build their civilisation?
Lake Texcoco
Which occupation acted as spies or ambassadors, bringing back news of other towns and cities that were suitable places to attack?
Merchants
The Aztecs used this system, involving the exchange of goods without money in their markets.
barter
Twin temples located at the centre of the Aztec city.
Templo Mayor
What is smallpox?
Epidemic disease brought by the Spanish that devastated the Aztec population.
A raised road or pathway that was built to enter and leave the Aztec empire.
causeways
Occupation that helped deliver babies safely for Aztec mothers.
Midwife
What are TWO activities that the Aztecs did at marketplaces?
Buy/sell goods, gossip, hear the daily news, stroll around the marketplace.
Identify the three main gods of the Aztecs and their roles.
Huitzilopochtli is the god of war and the sun
Tlaloc is the the rain god who controls storms, thunder and lightning
Quetzalcoatl is the feathered serpent and the god of wind, knowledge and nature
Identify the 3 G's and outline how it contributed to the Spanish conquest.
God, Glory, Gold
Spreading Christianity throughout the New World
Opportunities to gain fame in Europe
Greed and opportunity for money
What image is on the Mexican flag that describes the origin story of the Aztecs?
An eagle perched on a cactus eating a snake.
Outline TWO ways Aztec warriors could prove their skills.
Capturing prisoners alive for human sacrifice and winning in games such as the Mesoamerican ball game/ulama
How were Aztec children disciplined?
Speared with the sharp spines of a cactus, being left bound and naked in the dark in a cold puddle, bound and held over a fire, had their fingers cut if they made a mistake in tasks such as weaving
Why was human sacrifice important to the Aztecs?
please and honour the gods, prevent natural disasters such as floods, droughts and typhoons.
Describe what encomienda is?
Forced labour system that the Spanish used to enslave the Aztec people after the conquest.
A floating garden on a shallow lake, artificially built by layering soil.
Chinampas
What were THREE unique features of slaves in Aztec society that were different from other parts of the world?
They were generally treated well, they could buy their freedom, allowed to marry if they had their master's permission, gained freedom after working off a debt, completing their term of punishment for a crime, masters died, slave status not passed down to children
Outline 4 roles and responsibilities of men and women in Aztec society.
Women: weaving and sewing clothes, cooking, caring for children, take care of home, midwife, preparing for religious festivals and cooking, sell in markets
Men: serve as warriors to defend the empire and expand its territories through conquest, farmers to grow food such as beans and corn, government to collect taxes and tribute
How did the Aztecs show their respect to the gods?
Human sacrifice, religious festivals, bloodletting
Explain TWO impacts of the Spanish conquest of the Americas to the Aztecs.
Answers could include: diseases, loss of culture and language, Columbian exchange, spread of Christianity and cathedrals, forced labour and slavery, colonisation, African slave trade