Location
What is the modern-day country where the Aztec Empire was located?
Mexico
Which two cities did the Aztecs ally with to overthrow the Tepanecs at Azcapotzalco?
Texcoco and Tlacopan
What three city-states formed the Triple Alliance in 1428?
Tenochtitlán, Texcoco, and Tlacopan
What was the basic foundation of Aztec society?
The family
What areas of life did Aztec law help regulate?
Trade, marriage, life, and crime
On which island in Lake Texcoco was the Aztec capital built?
Tenochtitlán
Name two emperors who led military campaigns to expand the Aztec Empire.
Itzcoatl and Motecuhzoma I
Which enemy did the Triple Alliance defeat, allowing the Aztecs to expand their territory?
The Tepanecs
What was a calpulli, and what did it organize?
A neighborhood unit of related families that managed schools, shrines, and welfare
What was the punishment for crimes such as murder, theft, and adultery?
Death
Name the two gods to whom the Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlán (Templo Mayor) was dedicated.
Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc
What type of battles, fought with Tlaxcala, were designed to weaken rivals while capturing sacrificial victims?
Flower Wars
Name two rulers under whom the Aztec Empire grew rapidly through military conquest.
Montezuma I and Ahuitzotl
Who collected tribute and taxes in the Aztec Empire?
The calpixque (tax collectors)
What punishment was given for unpaid debts?
Slavery
Which city on the eastern shore of Lake Texcoco was known as a cultural and intellectual center with libraries, scribes, and philosophers?
Tetzcoco
How did the Aztecs treat conquered city-states in terms of governance and tribute?
Local rulers remained in power but had to pay tribute (maize, beans, textiles, gold, feathers, obsidian, and captives)
What were conquered peoples forced to provide as tribute to the Aztec Empire?
Goods, food, and captives
Name three responsibilities of the emperor (Huey Tlatoani)
Lawgiver, military commander, overseer of tribute
What type of offenses could result in the loss of property?
Petty offenses
Name the western city in the Triple Alliance that, together with Tenochtitlán and Tetzcoco, ruled the Aztec Empire.
Tlacopan
By the early 1500s, approximately how many city-states were under Aztec control under Motecuhzoma II?
400–500 city-states
What major weakness developed under Montezuma II’s reign that made the empire vulnerable to the Spanish?
Heavy tribute demands and harsh treatment caused resentment among subject peoples
Who chose the emperor, and how was his successor selected after his death?
A council of nobles, priests, and military leaders; they also chose the next emperor
Which emperor strengthened monarchy by declaring that the king was a direct descendant of the most important god?
Montezuma II