Then
Constantly being attacked by their enemies, the Aztecs of Mesoamerica needed desperately to seek
refuge in a city they could call their own. Surrounded by high mountains, Lake Texcoco was the
perfect spot to begin the city that would be the prize of the Aztec empire. In what we now call the
Valley of Mexico, the Aztecs began constructing their capital city of Tenochtitlan.
Begun in 1325 A.D. by the Aztecs, the city of Tenochtitlan was about 7,500 miles above sea level
and was built upon a marshy island in Lake Texcoco. For simple access, causeways were
constructed from the island to the mainland and dikes were constructed to prevent the salty water of
the eastern lake from mixing with the fresh water around the island. Canals were used as
transportation through the island.
Tenochtitlan was the home for the Aztec's 5,000,000 person empire. Housing about 1 twenty-fifth
of the Aztec empire, at a population of 300,000, it was an exceptionally prosperous city. Because
the Aztecs forced the people they conquered to pay tribute, the city grew wealthy with "gifts" of
corn, clothing and rubber. Tenochtitlan sported, pyramids, palaces, gardens, a well-organized
market and schools. Many temples, dedicated to different Aztec gods dominated the city.
The Aztec empire ended in disaster in 1521 A.D. when Hernan Cortez, a Spanish conquistador
landed in the "New World." Armed with guns and horses, he defeated the mighty Aztec empire in
three months. Cortez plundered the city and then destroyed it. He then built what is now called
Mexico City on the land where the once mighty Tenochtitlan stood to represent the glory and
power of the Aztec empire.
Now
After the Spaniards destroyed the Aztec capital, they rebuilt the city in Spanish style. Using some
of the stone from one of the fallen Aztec temples, they built what is now the largest church in Latin
America. They continued to expand their city which became a main port and capital for Spanish
expansion into Central America. As they grew bigger, they filled in more of the lake so they would
have more room to expand. Eventually, this city turned into Mexico City, the capital of Mexico.
With an estimated population of 22.2 million people, the Mexico City of today is the world's largest
city. Of course, there are problems with having so many people. Serious air pollution has been a
major problem in the city even though the government shut down the cities major oil refinery and
put a subway system in the city. The Mexico City of today is definitely different from the one of
the past.
Name:______________________________________Period:_________Points out of 10:_________
Directions: Compare and contrast Tenochtitlan and Mexico City in five sentences or more (topic
sentence, three comparisons, summarizing sentence). Then draw a picture of what you imagine
Tenochtitlan would look like back when the Aztec ruled the region.