Those in power often have the sway to paint over history in a way that justifies their immoral and wrongful pasts. The historians Schweikart and Allen argue that the exploration of the Americas is a pioneering moment in the future of Europe and celebrate Columbus and other voyagers. They described the native society as “a brutal regime that oppressed other natives of the region, capturing large numbers of them for ritual sacrifices in which Aztec priests cut out the beating hearts of living victims.” Because the Europeans had obliterated Aztec society in 1519 and gained complete control over them, they were able to conceal history in a way that would glorify themselves and convey that Aztec ancestors were primitive, savage, and inhumane. This is portrayed in the Aztec Codex Magliabechiano, where blood is smeared over the Aztec’s holy temple, which portrays the brutality of their people even in their most holy place.
