Tenochtitlan Founded

In 1325, according to the traditional Mexica account, a migrating people established the settlement of Tenochtitlan on a marshy island in Lake Texcoco, in the Valley of Mexico. The small village grew into the capital of the Aztec Triple Alliance and one of the largest cities in the world. When Spanish forces arrived in 1519, it was larger than almost any European city of the time. The date comes from indigenous and colonial-era sources rather than from archaeological confirmation, so it is best treated as approximate, and some scholars place the founding a few years later.

The Mexica, often called Aztecs, were a Nahuatl-speaking people who, by their own tradition, migrated from a legendary homeland called Aztlan. When they reached the Valley of Mexico, the best lands were already held by established city-states such as Culhuacan and Azcapotzalco. The Mexica worked for these powers as mercenaries and tributaries, and they were reportedly pushed onto unwanted, marshy ground. Their stories say their patron god Huitzilopochtli had told them to settle where they saw an eagle perched on a prickly pear cactus, an image that now appears on Mexico's flag.

The island location looked poor but proved to be an advantage. It was easy to defend, and the surrounding lake gave access to fish, waterfowl, and trade by canoe. The Mexica expanded their land by building chinampas, rectangular plots of fertile mud and vegetation anchored in the shallows, which produced reliable crops. Causeways linked the city to the shore, with removable bridges for defense, and an aqueduct brought in fresh water from the mainland. The city was organized around a sacred precinct that held the Templo Mayor, dedicated to both Huitzilopochtli and the rain god Tlaloc.

Political fortunes changed in the 1420s, when Tenochtitlan joined with Texcoco and Tlacopan in the Triple Alliance and overthrew Azcapotzalco. The alliance then conquered much of central Mexico, collecting tribute in goods such as cloth, food, feathers, and precious stones. Wealth flowed into the capital, which supported monumental building, craft specialists, and a large market at neighboring Tlatelolco that astonished Spanish observers. Population estimates for the city around 1500 vary widely, but figures of about 200,000 to 300,000 are commonly cited, with the larger number at the upper end of scholarly opinion.

The city's story ended violently. In 1521, after a long siege and with the help of indigenous allies and a devastating smallpox epidemic, Hernán Cortés's forces took Tenochtitlan and largely destroyed it. The Spaniards built Mexico City on the ruins, and the old lake was gradually drained over the following centuries. Remains of the Templo Mayor were rediscovered in 1978 during construction work, and excavations there continue to shape our understanding of Mexica religion, politics, and urban life.