The Fall Of The Aztec Empire Essay

If left up to the text of the 16th century the fall of the Aztec Empire would be accredited only to Cortes, but as Kevin O. Collins stressed in The Fatal Flaws of the Aztec Empire we see that we must look past the conquest and look more to the political, and religious view of the Aztec. Writers, such as William Prescott saw the flaws in the manuscripts written by those under Cortes and stressed that it was the mismanagement of Tenochtitlan that caused its fall. Unfortunately for this paper I will not be focusing on the fall of the Aztec Empire, but I will be focusing on what made the empire great; its symbolism, myths, temples, and if only for a little its ruler Motecuhzoma the second. Tenochtitlan, the capital city of the Aztec Empire was in what is now present day Mexico City. Tenochtitlan was immense in size housing over 200,000 inhabitants at its high; the city was constructed on an island. Tenochtitlan host some of the most impressive architecture. After the Spanish Conquest lead by Cortés, the city was looted, torn down, and its materials were used to build present day Mexico. The capital city is a true testament to Aztec ingenuity, worldviews, and architecture. Although the capital city was impressive, there were other cities that displayed Aztec architecture, daily life, and ritual. The Aztec had a long migration history. It …show more content…
Tezontle was also useful because it was relatively easy to harvest. The Aztecs were unaware of metals (excluding cooper), so they used cord and wedges to separate the red colored rood from the earth. Most building material that the Aztecs used where found in and around their region, but some were acquired though trade. The use of wood was also important. Aztecs would use oak and pine beams for