The Aztec and Inca Empires
Two great American empires flourished before European contact.
About this topic
The Aztec (Mexica) and Inca built the largest empires of the Americas before European arrival. The Aztecs founded their capital Tenochtitlan on an island in Lake Texcoco in 1325, with causeways, canals and floating gardens called chinampas. By the 1400s their Triple Alliance controlled central Mexico, collecting tribute from conquered peoples, and their city held perhaps 200,000 people. Religion centred on gods such as Huitzilopochtli, and included human sacrifice.
The Inca Empire, called Tawantinsuyu, stretched about 4,000 kilometres along the Andes from Ecuador to Chile from its capital Cusco. With no written language or wheeled vehicles, they used quipu, knotted cords, to record data, an extensive road system with relay runners, terraced farming, and the mita labour tax. Stonework at Machu Picchu fits without mortar.
In 1519 Hernan Cortes, allied with enemies of the Aztecs, reached Tenochtitlan, and smallpox greatly weakened the people; the city fell in 1521. In 1532 Francisco Pizarro captured the Inca ruler Atahualpa during a civil war and conquered the empire. A tip: guns, horses, alliances and disease together explain how small Spanish forces won. Misconception: these were not primitive; they matched Europe in engineering and organization.
Key ideas
- Tenochtitlan on a lake
- Inca roads and quipu
- Conquered in the 1520s–30s
Quick check
Use cases: where The Aztec and Inca Empires helps
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Studying the past helps explain today’s politics, borders, cultures and institutions.
Frequently asked questions
What is The Aztec and Inca Empires?
Two great American empires flourished before European contact.
What will I learn in The Aztec and Inca Empires?
Tenochtitlan on a lake. Inca roads and quipu. Conquered in the 1520s–30s.
Is The Aztec and Inca Empires part of World History?
Yes. It is one of 80 World History topics on LearnViz HighSchoolEdu, with 3 key ideas, a live animation and a quick check.
Does the The Aztec and Inca Empires lab work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. The animation resizes to fit your screen and supports touch, so you can drag, tap and slide with your finger.
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Read the summary and key ideas first, play with the interactive lab to see the idea in motion, then answer the quick check. If you get a question wrong, go back to the key idea it tests.
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