In this paper, we propose a new methodology to study evolutionary variational-hemivariational inequalities based on the theory of evolution equations governed by maximal monotone operators. More precisely, the proposed approach, based on a hidden maximal monotonicity, is used to explore the well-posedness for a class of evolutionary variational-hemivariational inequalities involving history-dependent operators and related problems with periodic and antiperiodic boundary conditions. The applicability of our theoretical results is illustrated through applications to a fractional evolution inclusion and a dynamic semipermeability problem.