According to mythology, the Aztecs migrated from what would later become Aztlan, their ancestral home, to

what is now Mexico. Although the location of Aztlan is unknown, many academics think that the Mexica—as
the Aztecs called themselves—migrated to central Mexico in the 13th century.

According to tradition, the Mexica patron deity Huitzilopochtli gave the order for Tenochtitlan to be founded.
According to the narrative, Huitzilopochtli instructed them to establish their town where they would see a large
eagle devouring a serpent from atop a cactus. This town, Tenochtitlan, was founded in the Mesoamerican area
of Anáhuac atop a chain of five interconnected lakes. The establishment of Tenochtitlan is dated to 1325 CE by
archaeologists.

At early, there were many tiny city-states in the area, including the Mexica at Tenochtitlan. They had to submit
to the Tepanec, whose seat of government was Azcapotzalco, and pay tribute to them. The Mexica joined forces
with the city of Texcoco and Tlacopan in 1428. By forming the Aztec Triple Alliance, they were able to win the
conflict for regional dominance and amass tribute from defeated nations.

The agricultural system that allowed for population feeding was essential to Tenochtitlan's ascent to power. One
element of the scheme was the creation of tiny, man-made islands called chinampas above the waterline.
Tracking tributes required meticulous record-keeping. The contributions made to the Aztecs are documented in
the Matricula de tributos and Codex Mendoza, two pictographic writings that escaped Spanish destruction. In
the codices, religious activities were also documented.

Priests of the Aztec civilization employed a 365-day solar calendar in addition to a 260-day ritual calendar for
divination. The Aztecs performed both human sacrifice and bloodletting in their main temple, Templo Mayor, at
Tenochtitlan. Bloodletting involved offering one's own blood. It is thought that some of the brutality of the
Spanish invasion may be attributed to the Spanish response to Aztec religious rites.

In 1519, the Spanish conqueror Hernando Cortés led his people into what is now Mexico. The presents from
Motecuhzoma, the ruler of the Mexica people, demonstrated that they had found gold while they were
searching. When Cortés first arrived in Tenochtitlan, he imprisoned Motecuhzoma and tried to govern on his
behalf, but things did not go well, and Cortés left the city in June 1520.

The conversations did not stop here, however. From the middle of May 1521 until their capitulation on August
13, 1521, the Spanish conquistadors laid siege to the Aztec capital. A former member of the Triple Alliance
named Texcoco helped them. During the battle, a large portion of Tenochtitlan was destroyed, and more was
plundered, burnt, or destroyed following the city's capitulation. Over the remains, Cortés started to construct the
city that is today known as Mexico City, the seat of a Spanish colony for which he was appointed ruler.