In 1519, Hernan Cortez set foot upon that part of Central America that is today known as Mexico. He expected to find gold, and he did. What he did not expect to find, however, was the great Aztec civilization. The Aztecs were in many ways more advanced than the Europeans, but nonetheless they were conquered by Cortez and his men.
Originating in the plains of Aztlan somewhere in northwestern Mexico, according to their own legends, the Aztecs slowly migrated southward. During the span of a century they came to reside at Lake Texcoco. There, in 1325, they founded their great capital of Tenochtitlan. This great city might have had a population of as many as 200,000 at one time, and is the site of modern-day Mexico City.
The Aztecs developed a complex society and governmental structure, at the head of which was the Emperor. They made many scientific advances, especially in the areas of astronomy and medicine. They also had a complicated religion,and interest in the arts, agriculture and social conditions occupied much of their time. Art, farming, and other things occupied the rest of the Aztecs' time.
The Aztec empire flourished until the arrival of Hernan Cortez, who conquered the Aztecs and killed their emperor, Moctezuma II. From that point there was a general decline, but our perception of a great Empire still remains.