Aztec Daily Life
What was the main way to move up in Aztec society?
Being a skillful warrior
Who was Columbus working for when he made contact with the Americas?
The Spanish monarchs
Where was Columbus trying to go when he reached the Americas?
Asia
What European technology gave the Spanish an advantage?
Steel weapons, armor, and firearms
How did the Aztec and Spanish views on religion differ?
The Aztecs were polytheistic, while the Spanish were monotheistic (Catholic).
What were people captured from other tribes in war used for?
They were enslaved or used for sacrifices
Why did Spain want to expand its empire?
Wealth, power, and spreading Catholicism
Enslaved them and forced them to bring him gold, and even took some back to Spain to get more support for more expeditions to the Americas
Why did Aztec weapons struggle against the Spanish?
They could not penetrate steel armor
How did warfare differ between the Aztecs and Spanish?
Aztecs fought to capture enemies for sacrifice; the Spanish fought to kill and conquer.
What was evidence of advanced engineering and applied mathematics in Aztec culture?
Building a city in a swamp with causways, canals, and pyramids
What were the major land empires that were limiting trade between Europe and east Asia in the 1400s-1500s?
The Muslim Gunpowder Empires (Ottomans, Safavids and Mughals)
How did smallpox affect the Aztecs?
It killed 50-90% of the population
What disease was the most devastating to the Aztecs?
Smallpox
Why did the Spanish encourage mixed-race marriages when they created a colony?
Unlike the Aztecs, the Spanish was far away and saw mixed families as a way to build connection between the conquered people and Spain.
What was a chinampa?
A floating farming island used to grow crops
What technologies increased European ocean exploration in the 1400s?
Lateen sails, the compass and the astrolabe, as well as the use of faster lighter ships (Caravels)
What did the Spanish do the Aztec art, books and temples after they conquered Tenochtitlan?
Destroyed them
How did disease help the Spanish conquer the Aztecs?
It weakened and reduced the Aztec population
Why did diseases like smallpox affect native people like the Aztecs so much more than the Spanish?
The diseases were new to the Americas, so the native people had no chance to build up immunity, and had fewer diseases before the Europeans arrived.
What were important foods grown in the Aztec empire?
Corn, tomatoes, cacao, chilis
How did Spanish conquest impact native religions?
Forced conversion to Christianity
Who was Malinche, and how did she help Cortés?
A translator and advisor who helped him communicate with native groups
Why did native allies like the Tlaxcalan probably want to team up with Cortes against the Aztecs?
They wanted revenge against the Aztecs who were their enemies and were trying to take them over. They also wanted to stay independent.
How did the Spanish justify their conquest of the Aztecs?
They believed they were spreading Christianity and civilization.