Question

Although Tenochtitlán was a peaceful place, the Aztecs themselves were a warlike people. In the 1400s, Aztec warriors began conquering the other people in the region. Soon, the Aztecs controlled a huge empire. One ruler, the emperor, ruled over all the Aztec lands.

The Aztecs forced the people they conquered to pay tributes, or taxes, in the form of food, gold, or slaves. They also took thousands of prisoners of war to serve as human sacrifices. The Aztecs believed that they had to sacrifice humans to the gods so that the sun would have enough strength to rise every day. Human blood was what gave the sun strength. If the sun did not rise, crops could not grow, and the people would starve. Priests made the offerings to the gods daily. In very bad times, members of noble Aztec families were sometimes sacrificed to please the sun god.


Find one event or condition to use as a starting point. List it below and label it a cause or effect.

Answer 1

Which event have you chosen?

Answer 2

I dont even understand it. What are they asking me to do? I dont understand

Answer 3

1. Choose an event mentioned in the reading.

2. Decide if it is a cause or an effect.

Answer 4

Oh! Ok. Thank you Ms. Sue!

Answer 5

I choose Human blood was what gave the sun strength. I think it is a cause. Am i right?

Answer 6

Why did they think the sun needed strength? Was that the cause of the perceived need for human sacrifice?

Answer 7

I just want ot know if im right

Answer 8

Human blood is a thing, not an event or condition.

Answer 9

what about Priests made offerings daily?

Answer 10

What about the underlying belief that the sun might not rise and make crops grow without human sacrifice as a cause for daily "offerings"?

Answer 11

to keep the chief gods strong

Answer 12

That can be a cause for daily offerings.