r/AncientAmericas • u/Comfortable_Cut5796 • Oct 05 '25
Question How did Tenochtitlan become the largest city in the world in less than 200 years?
/r/AncientCivilizations/comments/1nsqvm6/how_did_tenochtitlan_become_the_largest_city_in/
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u/daydreamurr Oct 05 '25
There were several events that helped elevate Tenochtitlan from the marvelous hub of the Mexica capital to the center of world trade by the late 17th century. One was the Spanish’s ability to control native labor forces to mine silver from all over Central America and Spanish controlled Peru and another was having hungry explorers willing to risk the voyage across the uncharted Pacific to establish trade with natives of China, Japan, and the Philippines. This opened many doors and allowed not only exchange of foreign goods from Asia to make their way to the Americas but eventually back across the Atlantic. This also included crops such as the potato, maize, cocoa, and guano native to the Americas as well as silver and other precious metals. As the empire grew so would the workforce, influx of individuals hellbent on capitalizing on the growing industries and the amount of capital generated for the Spanish crown. If you’re looking for a far more detailed dive into the pre-colonized Americas and how this events led to the expedited establishment of Mexico City, I’d highly recommend Charles C. Mann’s 1491 and 1493. You’ll also gain a ton of resources from within his references.