Knowing the historical context is essential to understand events from the past.
Before proceeding to know the meaning of the term historical context , we are going to determine the etymological origin of the two words that give it shape:
-Context derives from Latin, specifically from contextus, which is the result of the sum of two different parts: the prefix “con-”, which is synonymous with “together”, and the noun “textus”, which is equivalent to “tissue”.
-Historical, on the other hand, emanates from Greek. Thus, it is the result of the union of these two components: the noun “history”, which can be translated as “tales of the wise man”, and the suffix “-ico”, which is used to indicate “relative to”.
What is historical context
The concept of context refers to the environment , whether situational or physical. Historical , for its part, is that which belongs to history : past events or the study and narration of said events.
The circumstances and incidents surrounding an event are called historical context . This context is made up of everything that, in some way, influences the event when it happens.
Transcend the current view
A fact is always tied to its time : that is, to its era . Therefore, when analyzing events that took place dozens, hundreds or thousands of years ago, it is essential to know the historical context to understand them. Otherwise, we would be analyzing and judging what happened in a totally different time with a current perspective.
It is important not to analyze remote events with the perspective of the present.
Suppose that, in 2016 , a 35-year-old man enters into a romantic relationship with a 13-year -old girl. This type of bond not only causes strong social rejection, but is even punishable by law : an adult is prohibited from establishing a relationship with a minor. Currently we understand that a sentimental bond between an adult and a child causes significant damage to the minor.
On the other hand, if when reading the biography of a hero from the 18th or 19th century, we learn that when he was 30 years old he married a 15-year -old teenager, this information must be understood in its historical context. At that time, where life expectancy was much lower than today and social norms were different, these types of ties were normal. That is why José de San Martín , liberator of several towns in America , married a 14- year-old girl ( María de los Remedios de Escalada ) at the age of 34 , does not cause a stir if the historical context is taken into account.
The historical context of a literary work
When a commentary on a literary work, specifically, or a fragment of it has to be carried out, it is necessary that its historical context be established in that analysis.
In that case, data such as those relating to the author, the time and place where it was written will have to be indicated. In the same way, it will be necessary to classify the text based on the type of source it is, determine its meaning and expose both the distant and close antecedents of said work.
In addition to everything indicated, we cannot ignore the fact that there are literary works that use the term in question in their titles. This would be the case of the book “The Constitution of 1812 in its historical context”, which is written by Alberto Ramos Santana and was published in 2000.