He takes a different spin on this time in history; calling out Europeans for torturing and killing the Native American people for gold and resources. Zinn also points out the beginnings of institutionalized racism in the Americas. He explains that the reason why he expresses this history in this way is because for a long time this genocide has been ignored, and people need to see it for what it is. Zinn states, “…the treatment of heroes (Columbus) and their victims (the Arawaks)…acceptance of conquest and murder in the name of progress…the past is told from the point of view of governments, conquerors…as if they…represent the nation as a whole…” (Zinn 9). Zinn feels that the Europeans who have conquered these lands praise the so-called “heroes” like Columbus and Las Casas in order to justify the genocide that they caused. They focus on telling the accomplishments of these people in order to make their actions seem …show more content…
Hernan Cortés wrote a letter describing the religion of the indigenous people he conquered, he focuses on their sacrifice rituals which Allen and Schweikart highlighted in their own writings. Cortés states, “…they take many boys or girls, and even grown men and women… take out the hearts and entrails, and burn the said entrails and hearts before the idols, offering that smoke in sacrifice… of us who have seen this say that it is the most terrible and frightful thing to behold…” (Document 2). This description from the writing of Cortés himself greatly supports “A Patriot’s History”. By detailing the gruesome rituals of the Aztecs, it becomes easier to understand why Cortés would want to conquer and destroy