What does BC stand for in historical terms?

In historical terms, BC stands for "Before Christ." This designation is used to indicate the years that occurred before the traditional date assigned to the birth of Jesus Christ. The BC era counts backward from AD (Anno Domini), which stands for "in the year of our Lord." For example, the year 500 BC means it was 500 years before Christ was thought to be born.

While "Before Common Era" is also used in historical contexts and serves a similar purpose (option C), BC specifically refers to the Christian calendar. The use of BC and AD reflects the religious significance of these terms in Western history. Other options, such as "British Colonization" and "Before Congress," do not relate to historical dating conventions and are thus not applicable in this context.