The Aztecs: the Lost People of Mesoamerica

Throughout history we find many different kingdoms, civilizations and peoples and each of them are unique in their own way. By considering the varying degrees of sophistication, different lifestyles , religion and agriculture individuals can examine these peoples and come to understand their way of life and what aspects of their lifestyles made them so different . In an era of conquest and exploring the new world, Christopher Columbus discovered a land of promise and opportunity, riches and resources and perhaps most importantly gold and slaves. In the early 1500 the Spanish set out to colonize the Americas in hopes of finding similar treasures like Columbus. Among these potential colonies was the Aztec Empire of Mesoamerica. The Spanish invasion of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan began around 1519. The invasion began in February 1519 and was led by Hernán Cortés. “In November 1519, the band of 250 Spanish adventurers stood above Lake Texcoco” # gazing down on the city they wished to conquer but the Aztecs were strong people as well. At first there was no immediate clash between the Spanish and the Aztec and the Aztecs did not suspect that the Spanish were there to capture them. Montezuma II , the ruler of the Aztecs at the time, treated the Spaniards like guests and also gave them gifts. The Aztecs were sophisticated and civilized people with a unique identity. They had a rich culture and a well developed religion. They had also manipulated their surroundings to provide food for the people by utilizing the highlands and lowlands. However the Aztecs lost their identity when the Spanish conquest occurred as it changed many different aspects of the Aztec life .The Spanish Conquest severely damaged the physical and cultural environment of Tenochtitlan and the Aztecs,stripping them of their cultural and religious identity and changing the world in which they lived. By examining the structure of Tenochtitlan and the culture and religion of the Aztecs, it can be seen

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