Aztec Society
What was the highest class in the Aztec social hierarchy?
The Emperor and Nobles
What type of religion did the Aztecs practice?
Polytheism (belief in many gods)
Who led the Spanish expedition that conquered the Aztecs?
Hernán Cortés
What type of sword did the Spanish use that was superior to Aztec weapons?
Steel rapier
What is the term for a Spanish conqueror?
Conquistador
What were the two types of schools in Aztec society?
Calmecac (for nobles) and Telpochcalli (for commoners)
Why did the Aztecs practice human sacrifice?
To appease the gods and maintain balance in the universe
What city did the Spanish destroy to build Mexico City?
Tenochtitlán
200: What was the main type of long-range weapon used by the Aztecs?
Atlatl (spear-thrower)
What is the term for a policy of expanding an empire through military force?
Imperialism
How could an Aztec commoner move up in social status?
By capturing enemies in battle
Who was the Aztec sun god and god of war?
Huitzilopochtli
How did the Spanish use the Aztecs’ enemies against them?
They allied with the Tlaxcalans, who disliked Aztec rule
What animal gave the Spanish a major advantage in battle?
Horses
What was the name of the school where Aztec nobles were educated?
Calmecac
What material could only nobles wear, while commoners had to wear maguey fiber?
Cotton
What was the name of the Aztec calendar based on religion?
The Tonalpohualli (260-day ritual calendar)
What was one major reason the Spanish were able to defeat the Aztecs?
Disease (smallpox)
What was the biggest weakness of the Aztec macuahuitl (obsidian sword)?
It could not cut through Spanish steel armor
What disease wiped out large numbers of Aztecs after European contact?
Smallpox
What was the name of the large family-based social unit in Aztec society?
Calpolli
What did the Aztecs believe would happen if they stopped making sacrifices?
The sun would not rise, and the world would end
What was Montezuma’s initial reaction to Cortés and his men?
He believed Cortés might be the god Quetzalcoatl
What deadly tool did the Spanish use to take out large groups of Aztecs at once?
Cannons
What was the name of the military strategy used by Cortés to defeat the Aztecs?
The Conquistador Formula (find allies, capture leaders, use superior weapons)