How Did Trade Affect The Aztecs

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Similar to today’s society, the Aztecs had huge, urbanized cities and markets. During the Aztec empire between the 14th and 16th centuries, the Aztecs had markets that brought together people from all throughout Mesoamerica, which is now known as Central America, to sell or barter goods and services. The final ruler, Montezuma II, the last great Aztec emperor, ruled over 5 to 6 million people. At its peak, The Aztec Empire spread over 80,000 square miles. The Mexica were heavily religious and their religion became a controlling force in their life. This became harder to maintain as the empire continued to grow and expand. Although the Aztecs were later conquered by Spanish invaders, they were influenced by trade both positively and negatively through changes in economy and the society's social tier.

Trade in the Aztec empire influenced the Aztec’s day to day life by introducing an economy that provided them with a system of trade and goods. In Tenochtitlán, Mesoamerica’s biggest market city, people from all professions, ages, educational backgrounds, and genders came together to trade and barter their own goods. Items such as metals, clothing, paint, jewelry, and services were exchanged. To trade, although they didn’t have currency, “shoppers and sellers exchanged goods of roughly equal value” in their markets with “cocoa beans, cotton cloth, and pieces of copper” which were used at a standard value throughout the empire, similar to currency (Nardo). …show more content…
They’re power helped impact the lives of those who came after them, and established a stunning city for when the Spanish conquered the Aztecs later on. The economic success of the Aztec Empire helped the Spanish not only turn the area into a prosperous city for years to come, but also left mistakes that the Spaniards could learn from and continue to build

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