As you study historical events, you will discover that things do not simply ‘happen’ without reason.
Historical events are causedby things that occurred before them.
Also, historical eventscreate changes that have consequences long after the event is over.
Cause and consequence is a relationship in history between an event, a condition, or a decision (the cause) and the events or results that follow it (the consequences).
Understanding cause and consequence is a key aspect of historical analysis and helps historians to understand how and why things happened in the past.
Causes
Every historicalevent occurred because of a series of events that happened beforehand. Things that directly lead to another event are called ‘Causes’. Some causes occurred immediately before the event began, while others existed for several years before they caused the event.
-
Causes that occurred only a few hours, days or weeks before theevent are called 'Short Term Causes'
-
Causes that existed for years, decades orcenturies before the event are called 'Long Term Causes'
Additional Notes:
Just becausesomething occurred beforethe event does not mean it caused it. A cause issomething that is directly related to theevent. Another way of thinking about it is to say that the later event would not have occurred if the earlier one had not happened.
Not all causes that lead to a particular historical event are as equally influential as each other. Some causes are more significant than others.
Watch a video explanation on the History Skills YouTube channel:
Assessing causes
Example questions for assessing Causes:
Consequences
Every historical event has a flow-on effect uponthings that occur after it.Things that occurred because of the event under investigation are called ‘Consequences’.
Such consequences can include impacts upon people, societies, beliefs or any other facet of history.
-
Consequences that occurred only a few hours, days or weeksafter theevent are called 'Short Term Consequences'
- Consequences that occurred years, decades orcenturies after the event are called 'Long Term Consequences'
Additional Information:
The more you study history, the more you realise that consequences also become causes for other events.
Assessing consequences
Example questions for assessing Consequences:
-
What later events were the direct result of the event under examination?
- What changed in society as a result of the past event?
- What were the economic, political, military or social changes which resulted from this event?
Test your learning
No personal information is collected as part of this quiz. Only the selected responses to the questions are recorded.
Looking for a causes and consequences worksheet?
Cause and Consequence Graphic Organiser
A table where students can list the causes and consequences (both long and short term) for any given historical event. Great for dealing with complex historical events. (Word Document format)
$2.50
