Aztec Triple Alliance
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The Aztec Triple Alliance, also known as The Aztec Empire, was an alliance of three Aztec city-states: Tenochtitlán; Texcoco; and Tlacopán. These city-states ruled the area in and around the Valley of Mexico from 1428 until they were defeated the Spanish conquistadors and Hernán Cortés in 1521.
The Aztec Triple Alliance was formed by Itzcoatl of Tenochtitlán, Nezahualcoyotl of Texcoco, and the smaller city-state of Tlacopán in 1428. Despite the name, Tenochtitlán was the dominant partner, and Tlacopán the weakest. Tenochtitlán and Texcoco each received 2/5 of all tribute, and Tlacopán received 1/5. By the time the Spanish arrived in 1520, Tlacopán had nearly disappeared as a separate city-state, and the lands of the Alliance were ruled from Tenochtitlán.
At its height, the Alliance controlled most of central Mexico from coast to coast, except for a small area southeast of Tenochtitlán: the Kingdom of the Tlaxcalteca, the present state of Tlaxcala. It was the Tlaxcalans who allied with Cortés in 1521 to ultimately destroy the Alliance.
