Economy
To start with Tenochtitlan could support itself. Since it was a small village, farming was managed through chinampa, a method of agriculture used through out Mesoamerica. In the chinampa, flat reeds were placed in the shallow areas of the lake, covered with soil, and then cultivated. In this way, the Aztecs used much of the lake for agriculture. As the population grew, the economy of Tenochtitlan depended on high levels of economic support from surrounding areas. So the Aztecs more often formed trading and defensive alliances with the peoples around them. The Aztecs took great pride in these two aspects of their character: the trader and the warrior. A large number of the city were farmers; the highest levels were between 100,000 to 300,000, at least half the people left the city in the morning to farm and come back in the evening. Farmers did more than just grow crops that fed the people of Tenochtitlan’s, they also were skilled hunters and fishers. They sold much of what they caught in the market to add to their family income. The Aztec merchants also played a big part in the economy, as they traded goods with the peoples around them.
Ancient Aztec clothing was a huge part of the economy. You could buy a slave if you had enough material. People brought thousands of clothing items as tribute to the powerful empire. Clothing both united people and separated them - much like it still does today.