The Aztecs

history · Mexico · empire

City-state power. The Aztecs were organized into city-states called altepetl, and in 1427 three of them, Tenochtitlan, Tetzcoco, and Tlacopan, joined forces to create a mighty empire.

Speaking Nahuatl. The Aztec peoples spoke a language called Nahuatl. Some words you might know today, like 'chocolate' and 'tomato,' come from it!

A flourishing time. The Aztec civilization thrived in central Mexico from about 1300 to 1521, a span of more than 200 years.

Capital city. Tenochtitlan was the dazzling capital, and the Mexica people who lived there are often who folks mean by 'Aztecs.'