Mexican Empire Research Paper

The Aztecs: an Early Mexican Empire During the great era of European discovery and encounter in the western hemisphere, the Kingdom of Spain played an early and decisive role. The Spanish explored and settled islands and coastal regions around the Caribbean basin. The Spanish sought to enrich themselves with gold, lands and converts to Christianity. Much of what we know of these activities has been recorded in firsthand accounts by participants, archeological findings and the codices of the native cultures. Codices are the pictographic writings which portray myths, legends and historical events, most closely associated with the societies established in modern central and southern Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. In the early years of …show more content…
Local natives paid tribute to this empire in the form of slaves, fish, precious gems, luxury food items, cotton and the plumage of tropical birds. The rulers of this empire were Nahua speaking Mexican tribesmen, thought to have originated in a mythical place known as Aztlan. The Spanish came to know them as Aztecs. The Aztec Empire thrived in the period from approximately 1325AD, to its downfall at the hands of the Spaniards in 1521 AD. In those years, the Aztecs had built and sustained a remarkable imperial state consisting of a home city, called Tenochtitlan, alliances with nearby cities and a network of tributary states that had been conquered in Aztec military campaigns. The Aztecs were the overlords of a society that was established long before in the region of the Valley of Mexico. Today, this region is the heartland of modern Mexico, with over 20 million inhabitants. The valley is a high plateau, over 7000 ft above sea level. It is surrounded by high mountains which, at the time, provided water, wood for fuel and abundant wild game. Then, the climate was ideal for the traditional, domestic agricultural system: maize, various beans, …show more content…
These were advanced cultures who became the target of primitive tribes migrating south. As these waves of immigrants poured around and through the older city states, much of their culture was absorbed by the newcomers. The immigrant tribes were organized among groups speaking common languages. Among the speakers of the Nahua language, was a minor group with few prospects. In the conflict to obtain and settle new lands, this tribe was hired as mercenary soldiers by competing cities. These people knew themselves as Mexica. They were warlike by nature, so turned to their God of War, Huitzilpochtli, for divine guidance. The legends of the Mexica speak to the settlement of an island in the shallow Lake Texcoco, in the valley of Mexico, where the people observed a large cactus plant on top of which sat a golden eagle clutching a rattlesnake Here the people founded their central city, Tenochtitlan. Over time they built up the site, including causeways and freshwater aqueducts. They gained wealth through trade and mercenary service in the continuous regional wars. As they grew in strength and reputation, the principal cities used them to settle disputes and collect tribute. By the end of the 15th Century, they were the most powerful state in the region. They chose to expand their presence through nearly continuous campaigns of military conquest and alliance. Their

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