Name: ________________________
Aztec Power Point Review
Day/Period:______ ____
1. Mexico is the present day country in which the Aztecs once lived.
2. The Aztec migrated from the north to Mexico.
3. The Aztec were led by their leader and god to find this bird the Eagle.
4. The eagle was to be found on a cactus eating a snake.
5. The eagle on a cactus eating a snake should be in the middle of a lake.
6. Finally in 1325, the search ended in the Valley of Texcoco.
7. The Aztec settled on an island in Central Mexico.
8. The Aztec Empire lasted through the early 1500s.
9. The Aztecs were able to change a swampy lake into a great city.
10. Tenochtitlan was the name of the Aztec capital, the city built on a swampy lake.
11. Today, Tenochtitlan is known as Mexico City.
12. The Aztecs were known for great farming skills.
13. In order to build the city of Tenochtitlan on marshes, the Aztecs used something called
chinampas which were floating islands.
14. The entire Aztec culture was dominated by religion.
15. The Aztecs had a written form of language like the Mayans, called hieroglyphics.
16. Also like the Mayans, the Aztecs had a very accurate calendar.
17. The Aztec were able to use plants and herbs to make over a thousand types of medicines.
18. Another side of Aztec: Do you agree or disagree that the Aztec empire committed cruel
acts because of their religion? (Give at least 3 reasons.) ______________________________
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19. It was believed that the sacrifices kept the sun in the sky.
20. When starting a new settlement the Aztec would first build a shrine to their gods. 20b. This is
another example of religion’s importance to the Aztecs.
21. There was one more similarity the Aztec had with the Mayan Empire. What was it?
They played a similar sport and sacrificed players afterwards to the gods.
22. The goal of the European explorers was to find a quick/shorter route to the Far East.
22b. Now we know that Christopher Columbus was the first European explore to reach the
Western Hemisphere is false. Records show the Vikings were first.
23. Columbus explored for the country of Spain and his discovery opened the door for many
explorers to follow.
24. Spanish explorers of the New World, were known as conquistador
25. Hernan Cortes was a conquistador who had a small army, but he had the help of this group to
help defeat the Aztecs. This group were many of the Aztecs and their neighboring towns.
26. By 1521, the Aztec were defeated by Spanish.
27. Although the Aztec army outnumbered Cortez’s army, it only took a short time to defeat the
Aztecs. One reason was the Aztec leader made so many enemies, who were willing to help Cortez.
Another reason was the Spanish had more powerful weapons.
28. Another reason was small; germs. The Spanish brought unknown diseases to the West..
29. Native Americans did not have immunities to protect them from diseases brought to the
Western Hemisphere, by the Spanish.
30. After the fall of the empires, Native Americans were forced from their cities.
31. They were forced to work on large plantations known as haciendas.
32. Soon Native American enslavement included working in the mines.
33. Within 50 years after the Spanish conquered the Western Hemisphere, the population of
Native Americans dropped from 25,000,000 to 3,000,000.
34. This can be blamed on lack of immunities to diseases, and to enslavement which often
included cruel, inhumane treatment of Native Americans.
35. Without Native Americans to work the mines and plantations, Spanish began to import slaves
from Africa.