Around 1300 CE, about 200 years after the Maya Indians disappeared, a wandering tribe of Indians wandered into the Valley of Mexico. These people were called the Aztecs. 

When the Aztecs arrived in the Valley of Mexico, other tribes were already in residence. They had already taken the best land. The Aztecs had to make due with the swampy shores of Lake Texcoco. They had to adapt to their environment. They built canoes, fished, and hunted birds that lived near the water. They created floating gardens for growing food. They created more land for agriculture by filling in the marshes. They built dikes to hold back the water. The Aztecs were a very clever people. 

After a while, they began to conquer the neighboring tribes. They conquered first one tribe, and then another, and then another. They expanded and expanded until they had built an empire.  

One day, around 1500 CE, Spanish soldiers arrived in the Valley of Mexico. They were amazed at what they saw. One soldier said, “There were soldiers among us who had been in many parts of the world, in Constantinople and Rome and all over Italy, who said that they had never before seen a market place so large and so filled with people.” 

The Spanish brought guns, horses, huge fighting dogs, and disease. The Aztecs had never been exposed to childhood diseases like measles. Many became ill once the Spanish arrived; many died. As well, the Spanish had help from the other tribes in the area. These tribes saw a chance to get even, and perhaps even to rid themselves of the feared and hated Aztecs. 

By the mid-1500’s, the Aztec Empire had collapsed, and the Spanish took over. 

Today, there are around 1,000,000 (one million) descendants of the ancient Aztecs living and working in Mexico. Human sacrifice is no longer part of their festivals, of course. But the beautiful art and clever games the Aztecs created are still enjoyed today.