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AZTECS
The Aztecs were a group of sophisticated Native Americans who lived in present-day central Mexico during the 14-16th centuries. Their capital was Chapultepec from 1248-1325, and Tenochtitlan(where present-day Mexico City is) from 1325-1521.
Aztec legend says that the settlement of Tenochtitlan was foretold by a vision. The myth says one of the [http://users.aol.com/purging/ptp2/aztec.htm]Aztec Gods, Huitzilopochtli, told the Aztecs in of an eagle perched on a cactus, with a snake in its talons. They were to find this land and settle there. They set out, and eventually found an eagle on a cactus with a snake, and build their great city of Tenochtitlan there in the middle of Lake Texcoco. Today, Mexican coins are engraved with the image of the eagle, which is Mexico's Coat of Arms.
The Aztec empire reached its peak during the reign of Ahuitzotl. In 1519, 17 years into the reign of his successor, Montezuma, the empire was visited by foreigners. Spaniards under conquistador Hernán Cortés, to be exact. The Aztecs had never seen European horses, so when the Spaniards came riding them, they were thought to be half-human, half-deerlike gods. So they showered them in gold and gifts and stuff.
But then, Cortes got greedier. Seeing all the gold he was getting, he wanted more, faster. So, he attacked and took over Tenochtitlan, because the Aztecs were very primitive compared to the Europeans. Also, the set up of the city (it was on an island in the middle of a lake with a few branched bridges connecting it to the coast) made it very easy for the Spaniards to storm it. Cortes destroyed the city and built over it what is now known as Mexico City.
Credit to WinNiEdApOoP for the following:
WinNiEdApOoP
They are called "aztecs" because they came from a land called "aztlan" (lugar de los pájaros blancos)(place of the withe birds), they left aztlan because their priest and chief had a vision (of the eagle and all that) they are also called "mexicas" beacuse of the name of their priest and chief "Mexi" who guided them to the lake of texcoco.
Source:
Wikipedia
Aztec Gods
Tenochtitlan
