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The Aztecs' economy relied on trading; it was very important part of their lives. Their economy relied heavily on agriculture. The farmers grew beans, squash, avocados, tobacco, hemp, and peppers, but the most important crop was corn. Things such as raw materials, medicine, jewelry, and wood were also traded. They also bartered with various currencies, but trading and bartering was their main form of payment. Another strange way they paid for goods/services was that they sold their children. Cocoa beans were the most common currency; they used it for small purchases. For more expensive items, Quachtli, cloth, was used. Its value grew if it was woven tightly and it could costs as much as 300 cocoa beans. Aztecs economics were also heavily dependent on tributes. Groups, cities and vassals paid tribute to the emperor, but, also, many people owed tribute to higher ranking people (on the social class ladder or within a specific organization) or to an organization.

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5. Spiritualism/Worship & Compare/Contrast with Europe

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5. Spiritualism/Worship & Compare/Contrast with Europe

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The Aztecs worshiped hundreds of gods, and they did not all come from the same sources. They had 2 main gods that represented the force of nature and they were the parents of many of the other major gods in the society. A polytheistic people, the Aztecs paid tribute to and had to seek the favor of many different divine entities. For instance, they believed that without sacrifices to the Sun God, the Sun would not rise, ending the world. Their concept of what happens during the world's end and following reformation is similar to the Norse Ragnarok. Overall, Aztec religion was simply very far from European practices, in its beliefs, power structure and practices.

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Within the Aztec society, the men dominated the family unit. There were also wives and children, and the men could have multiple wives. Marriage indicated the entrance to adult life and independence. Each family was given a piece of land, and they would have their own home on that land. The man and woman could sometimes both be involved in working on the land. Also, when wives would complete household tasks, the men could go out to be warriors. Becoming an Aztec warrior was highly glorified. The parents were responsible for the education of their children, and discipline for children was rather harsh. Furthermore, slaves often had relationships with their masters, and this frequently led to the freedom of the slave.

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The nobles, or pipiltin, had were at the top of Aztec society; this group included nobles and priests. It was originally composed of those who were descended from the previous Toltec Empire. Warriors formed their own special class between the nobles and the commonfolk. Commoners and slaves defined the largest portion of Aztec people. Slavery was similar to Rome in that slaves came from debts, criminals and captives; additionally, they could be freed for various reasons or inherited. At the empire's beginnings, power was held by the educated or blessed and those with significant family ties; towards the end of the empire, power became strictly based on bloodline and religious significance. Despite having a very dominate religious culture, the laws and regulations were very fair and not based off of religion. Many laws or rules were determined by whoever had authority in a given region or area of organization.

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The Aztecs first settled on Lake Texcoco with the city of Tenochtitlan. However, Tenochtitlan required a lot of time and effort to construct due to the boggy terrain. Nearby peoples took advantage of this and raided the Aztecs for slaves, sacrifices and resources. Thus, the Aztecs were forced to conquer the nearby tribes or be destroyed, defining the original reason for Aztec expansion. As the Aztecs grew in power, so did their need for resources and sacrifices, so they continued to expanded ever outward through conquest, vassalage or tributes.

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The Aztecs were originally viewed as a cultist group by the Europeans and Spaniards. The Aztec civilization was not as popular as many believe until the founding of the city Tenochtitlan. The civilization primarily revolved around hunting and subsistence living. In over only four days, the Aztecs managed to sacrifice approximately 80,400 prisoners, cutting out their hearts and letting the bodies roll down the temple steps. Additionally, the Aztecs were the first people to institute mandatory education for all people, regardless of class or gender. Furthermore, Aztec government was very specialized, allowing different groups to act independently, as long as they followed the mandates of the royalty.