Name ______________________________________________________________________ Class _______
Early History of the Americas
Guided Highlighted Reading
DIRECTIONS Complete the guided highlighted reading. Then read the text, paying
attention to what you highlighted. Finally, answer the question about the selection.
Moctezuma 1
c. 1390-1464
Guided Highlighted Reading
Paragraph 1: Highlight the two Aztec emperors with similar names.
Paragraph 1: Highlight what Moctezuma II was responsible for.
Paragraph 2: Highlight what city Moctezuma I ruled.
Paragraph 2: Highlight how Moctezuma I became king.
Paragraph 3: Highlight what the alliance paved the way for Moctezuma I to do.
Paragraph 4: Highlight what happened under Moctezuma I’s rule.
Paragraph 4: Highlight what Tenochtitlán was.
Paragraph 5: Highlight what people could keep.
Paragraph 5: Highlight what Tenochtitlán became.
Paragraph 6: Highlight what kind of changes Moctezuma I made.
Paragraph 7: Highlight what sewage was used for.
Paragraph 7: Highlight what happened because of the cleaner city and better housing.
Paragraph 8: Highlight what Moctezuma I did not do when he conquered other groups.
Paragraph 8: Highlight why conquered groups often accepted Moctezuma I’s rule willingly.
Paragraph 9: Highlight how Moctezuma I paved the way for the expansion of the Aztec Empire.
VOCABULARY
Acclamation:
approval by cheers
or applause instead
of votes
Alliance:
connection or
union
1 There were two Aztec emperors named Moctezuma. Do not confuse Moctezuma I, the subject of this
biography, with Moctezuma II, who came later and who was at least partly responsible for the downfall
of the Aztec Empire. To many, Moctezuma I was the greater emperor of the two.
2 Moctezuma I was the son of an Aztec noble. His name is sometimes spelled Montezuma or Motheuzoma.
His surname is Iluicamina, which means “archer of heaven.” Moctezuma I ruled the Aztec city Tenochtitlán. He
was a skilled warrior and loyal supporter of the Aztec king, Itzcóatl. Moctezuma became king by acclamation
following Itzcóatl’s death. Following Aztec custom, Moctezuma I’s coronation was a grand celebration that
included human sacrifices to the gods.
3 Moctezuma I was a gifted statesman, warrior, and city planner. As king, he changed Aztec life. For
example, Itzcóatl had formed an alliance between Tenochtitlán and two neighboring cities, Texcoco and
Tlacopan, strengthening Aztec power. This alliance paved the way for Moctezuma to increase the size of the
empire dramatically.
4 Under Moctezuma I’s rule, the alliance expanded. It conquered land east and south of the cities, until a
larger empire was formed. Moctezuma stretched the empire beyond the Valley of Mexico (where modern-day
Mexico City is located) to the Gulf of Mexico. The allied cities divided the conquered lands in a democratic
manner, but Moctezuma’s city, Tenochtitlán, was the most influential city.
5 Under Moctezuma I, Tenochtitlán achieved great prosperity. The land belonged to the state but the people
could keep the profits from their work. Goods from the conquered lands became accessible and trade grew,
especially in exotic items like rubber, cocoa, cotton, fruits, feathers, and seashells. Tenochtitlán became a
merchant center much larger and richer than any European city at the time.
Name ______________________________________________________________________ Class _______
Early History of the Americas
Guided Highlighted Reading
6 Moctezuma I also made civic and social changes that helped the empire to grow. For example, floods
were a problem that caused the loss of crops. To stop the floods, Moctezuma I had huge dams built.
7 Moctezuma I cleaned up and rebuilt Tenochtitlán. People bathed daily and the streets of Tenochtitlán
were hosed down every day. Sewage was not allowed in the rivers or lakes. Instead, it was collected,
processed, and used for fertilizer. Moctezuma replaced old, fragile buildings and houses with strong, new
buildings made of stone. With the cleaner city and better housing came an increase in Tenochtitlán’s
population.
8 Moctezuma I supported the importance of the priests, established new religious ceremonies, and
completed construction of the great temple. He took away the privileges of the nobility and established a strict
code of laws. Although he conquered other groups, Moctezuma I did not impose his empire’s religion and
customs on them. As a result of this fairness, conquered groups often accepted Moctezuma’s rule willingly for
the protection he gave and the prosperity that often resulted.
9 Moctezuma I paved the way for the expansion of the Aztec Empire with his fair and efficient form of
government. His military leadership extended the empire’s power as far as the Pacific Ocean in the west and
the Gulf of Mexico to the east. Had the Aztecs been under his strong and able leadership when the Spanish
conquistadors arrived, the fate of the Aztec Empire might have been different.
Answer the question in a well-written paragraph. Write in complete sentences (1 pt). Make sure
to include a topic sentence (1 pt) with the outcome (1 pt) in it and concluding sentence (1 pt).
Include at least three reasons (2 pts each) in your paragraph. It is worth 10 points.
What do you think the outcome might have been if Moctezuma I had been king instead of Moctezuma II when
the Spanish conquistadors arrived? Explain your answer using support from this reading selection and from your
notes or textbook.
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