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Tenochtitlan Capital

Type Object Region Mexico Time c. 1325–1521

Tenochtitlan was the Mexica capital on a small island in Lake Texcoco, founded around 1325 according to an oracle and the tradition of building on wa…

Timeline

  1. c. 1325–1375Tenochtitlan Island, Lake Texcoco · Valley of MexicoFollowing an oracle, the Mexica expanded the small island by dumping earth and digging canals, building houses and embankments from reeds and wooden piles, and surviving by submitting to powerful neighbors such as Azcapotzalco; the city was still small but already showed the prototype of a lake metropolis.
  2. 1381–1390Tenochtitlan · Valley of MexicoThe first tlatoani Acamapichtli (r. c. 1376–1396) promoted the construction of the first Templo Mayor, the expansion of chinampa farmland and public markets; Tenochtitlan's population and tribute network grew markedly, raising its status among the city-states of the valley.
  3. 1390–1428Tenochtitlan · Valley of MexicoFrom the 1390s to the 1420s, Tenochtitlan maneuvered among city-states such as Texcoco and Tlacopan, gradually accumulating military and tribute strength, paving the way for the overthrow of Azcapotzalco and the establishment of the Triple Alliance in 1428.

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