older men of each clan taught the boys the duties of citizenship, religious observance, the history and traditions of their people, and arts and crafts. The boys also trained for war in this school. In another school, the calmecac, boys studied for the priesthood. Girls could learn to be priestesses in temple schools.The Aztec are believed to have migrated to the Valley of Mexico from the north. Aztec legends reveal that the early Aztec were nomadic farmers who wandered in search of fertile land. They fought with other tribes settled in the valley and sometimes were forced to serve them. Finally they took refuge on islands in the shallow lakes. In about 1325 they founded Tenochtitlán.Here the Aztec prospered and reached out to conquer new lands. They allied themselves with other Nahua tribes. The Aztec were at the height of their power when Hernán Cortés and his Spanish soldiers arrived in 1519. The Spanish imprisoned Montezuma II, who died in custody. In 1521, when the Spanish captured Tenochtitlán, the Aztec Empire came to an end.The Aztec lived in a hot climate and therefore wore a minimum of clothing. The men wore a cloth around the waist, and the women wore tunics and skirts. These garments were made of cotton. People of higher social rank wore clothes decorated with furs and especially with feathers of tropical birds. The Aztec wore much jewelry, mainly of gold.The great controlling force in Aztec life was religion. The Aztec worshiped several gods who represented the forces of nature. Among the most important Aztec gods were Huitzilopochtli, god of war; Tonatiuh, god of the sun; and Tlaloc, god of rain. Quetzalcóatl was the god of learning and a symbol of death and resurrection.
The Aztec performed elaborate rituals and ceremonies to obtain help from the gods. Human sacrifice played an important part in the rites. The Aztec believed that because life was humankind's most precious possession, it was the most acceptable gift for the gods. They sacrificed thousands of prisoners captured in war.
The Aztec had learned from the Maya how to determine the solar year accurately. With this knowledge their priests kept an exact solar calendar. An almanac gave dates for festivals and listed the various deities who held sway over each day and hour.
Aztec society was divided into distinct classes, and every member of the society had a role determined by their class. The military in particular played an important part in Aztec society. Bravery in war was the surest path to social advancement.
The Aztec tribes were made up of families and clans. Each clan had its own elected officials and sent representatives to the council of the tribe. The council appointed officials to govern the four quarters of the city. The council also elected and advised the supreme chief, who led the tribe in times of wars and alliances. A second chief supervised internal affairs. The priesthood had a strong influence on society but probably took no active part in government. At the bottom of society were bonded servants and slaves.The Aztec economy was based on agriculture. Most Aztec were farmers. They grew corn, beans, peppers, squash, alligator pears, tomatoes, tobacco, and cotton. Other Aztec were traders and craftsmen. A trade system linked the far parts of the empire with Tenochtitlán. Trade was carried on by barter because the Aztec had not invented money.
