Final answer:
Historical context examines the contributing societal, economic, political, and cultural factors leading up to an event or idea, considering both immediate and long-term circumstances.
Step-by-step explanation:
The historical context of an event or idea involves analyzing the circumstances and factors leading up to it. This involves examining the cause of the event and what preceded it on the timeline, such as the societal, economic, political, and cultural conditions at the time. To fully grasp the development of an event, one must consider both the immediate and the long-term circumstances that contributed to its occurrence.