I do this myself. Sometimes, when reading about the actions, attitudes, or utterings of historical figures of over half a century ago, I might get upset. They can seem so unfeeling, or even barbaric. Then, I remind myself that they were acting in an acceptable manner for their time and place in history. While I cannot say they should ultimately be exonerated for their sins because of their ignorance or attitudes, I do say that our judgment in current terms should be tempered by an understanding of the commonly, and strongly, held beliefs of their time and place. To fully grasp their contributions to the flow of history, we must grasp who they were, and who were those around them. It is impossible to know in the "now" what will be believed of us in the future. Some great grand descendent of mine may look back and perceive that some common action of mine was the cause of the downfall of the human race and destruction of the world. I can only be forced to be who I can be at this place and time. Current sins cannot be defined by future values.
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