Creating Historical Context

Here is a quick way to judge if you've provided context for your essay. 

Describe

Describe an accurate historical context for
a specific historical development or process.In other words, What else is going on at or before this time that shapes the thing your talking about.

Explain

extend
Explain how a relevant context influenced
a specific historical development or process.
How does the context you described make your thesis relevant, or how does it create a situation in which your thesis makes sense.
Use context to explain the relative historical significance of a specific historical development or process.

See Some Examples