Aztec society prospered by building a prosperous empire. At the same time that people in London were drinking polluted water from the Thames (until 1854), Tenochtitlan had a supply of fresh, clean water for its residents. While chamber pots were emptied on the streets of Europe, public toilets were built in every neighborhood and 1,000 cleaners were employed to clean their streets. Even though many books refer to these Native Americans as primitive or barbaric savages, we can see that although their way of life was different, it was fascinating and sophisticated and had much to teach us then and now. The contributions and achievements of the Aztec people were significant in many areas and had a great influence on American life.