By Sophie and Chloe
The Aztecs, who probably originated as a nomadic tribe in northern Mexico,
arrived in Mesoamerica around the beginning of the 13th century. From their
magnificent capital city, Tenochtitlan, the Aztecs emerged as the dominant
force in central Mexico, developing an intricate social, political, religious and
commercial organization that brought many of the region's city-states under
their control by the 15th century.
The Aztec had noble
slaves .
 Slaves were not
captured people.
 They were Aztecs
 In the Aztec world
there were two ways
you could become a
slave.



The slave in Aztec times
were treated as a au pair
in these days.
In the Aztec world, there
were two ways you could
become a slave. You could
become a slave as
punishment for a crime
you had committed. You
could be voluntarily sold
into slavery to pay family
debts. These were
the only two ways.

Sons of the Upper Class: One
school was for the nobles, and
sons of wealthy traders and
merchants. This school taught
law, writing (hieroglyphics),
medicine, engineering and
building, interpretations of
dreams and omens, and selfexpression. Students were taught
how to speak well. They also
learned details of their history
and of their religious beliefs.
This was a tough school. The
boys were humiliated and
despised to toughen them up.



Sons of Commoners: One school
was for the commoners. Its main
goal was to train warriors and
farmers.
Unlike the school for nobles’
sons, this school was pretty
peaceful. Boys had to sleep
under skimpy blankets. They
were given hard bread to
eat. But that was about it.
Like the school for nobles'
sons, this school taught
history, religion, manners,
correct behavior, and
important rituals, along with
singing and dancing.


Marriage: At about age 20, men
married women who were ages 1415. A man could have more than
one wife as long as he could
support her. Weddings were
arranged, usually with the help of
a matchmaker.
Matchmakers were usually old
women. The bride’s family gave a
party for three or four days before
the wedding. The day of the
wedding, the bride rode piggyback
on the matchmaker to her new
home. There, while they were
wearing them, in the front the
hearth (the fireplace), the bride
and grooms coats were tied
together. From that point on, they
were married.

New Babies: The
birth of a baby was a
really big deal. The
Aztecs welcomed all
life. The birth of a
boy or a girl was
celebrated. This was
true for nobles and
commoners.