Mexican history is one of early highly advanced civilization. In fact, it is said to be one of the most advanced in the Western Hemisphere. Archeologists found evidence of hunters in 21000 BC or earlier in the regions that later became Mexico. Mexican crops started growing approximately 8000 BC as they tried to grow squash first. A major Mesoamerican civilization, the Olmecs came first, somewhere around 1500 to 600 BC. Mayans flourished in the area during the 6th century AD. The warring Toltec civilization came down to the area from the north, stopping in the 8th century in the Mexican Valley. Here they founded the cities of Talncingo and Tula north of what is now Mexico City. They created a majestic civilization that is evidenced even now in buildings and monuments whose ruins are visible.

The Toltecs left the region in the 12th century, pushed out by the Chichimeca, and dispersed all over. The next century seven Nahuatlan tribes came from what was thought to be the area of present day Arizona and New Mexico. The Aztecs were the leading tribe among the Nahuatlan and in 1325 the Aztec established the city of Tenochtitlan. A causeway was built as a dam and a fortress for their island town. Itzcoatl, the first Aztec emperor, spread his civilization's influence throughout nearly all of Mexico in the 15th century.

Artistic, intellectual and agricultural describe the Aztecs aptly. They learned to grow corn and exist on its cultivation. They were wealthy and vibrant, with cities full of social, religious and political ties and influence.
Europeans sent an explorer to the region in 1517. This Francisco Fernandez de Cordoba went to the Yucatan and their found traces of the Mayan civilization. Cuba sent an explorer a year later. This Juan de Grijalva found the Aztecs living all along the east coast of Mexico and traveled back to his Cuban emperor Diego Velazquez, who immediately dispatched warrior Hernan Cortes and a large number of soldiers to conquer the Aztecs.

What happened to the Aztecs was that they had divided themselves into 38 scattered and independent tribes who didn't get along well. This played right into the hands of Cortes and his soldiers. As did the Aztec emperor Montezuma's belief that Cortes was the god Quetzalcoatl.

Slaves, commoners and nobility were the three distinct groups of Aztecs. Slaves were indentured servants and often the children of the poor. They didn't work as slaves forever, and, in fact, could buy their freedom. They could also try to escape to the royal palace. If they did so, they were free. Most commoners were allowed to buy land and build homes. The tlalmaitl were only allowed the status of tenant farmers. Commoners, except for the most lowly of them, were allowed to be homeowners and landowners. Nobles were those born to the position and those who earned their way to the distinction. The latter were warriors and priests for the most part.

The Aztecs of that time worshiped many gods, among them the sun god Uitzilopochtli, the moon goddess Coyolxauhqui, the rain god Tlaloc, and the writing and calendar inventor Quetzalcoatl. The Aztecs believed that their sun god murdered his sister the moon goddess. Aztech writing was recorded, often threw pictures, on animal hides or papers.
Called codices, some of these writing still exist. The Aztec calendar, which was designed during Mayan early years had
365 days, 18 months with 20 days each and then five days they called hollow. These five days were supposed to be days of bad luck. There are more than one million Aztecs living today in and around Mexico City, primarily illiterate farmers who barely subsist, take little part in modern Mexican culture and who practice a blend of Aztec religion and Roman Catholicism.

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