Your research paper for this class will be based on a historical figure of your choice.

Your research paper for this class will be based on a historical figure of your choice. You may pick any person who falls within the scope of the course-that means it must be a figure from the Western world (Europe or the Middle East) who lived between the beginning of recorded history and the mid-18th century. This gives you a wide variety of people to pick from, so pick someone who interests you. (Hint: later people are easier to find sources for)
The purpose of this assignment is not only for you to learn about a historical figure and time period in a more in-depth fashion than we will be able to do in class, but also for you to improve your writing skills, research skills, and ability to analyze information and create an argument. 
While this paper is based on a person, it should NOT be solely the story of their life from birth to death, but should make an argument that focuses on the historical events that affected their lives, and the events that they affected. 
The purpose of a research paper is to do research on a topic in to gather evidence which you will use to support the argument that you are making. Think about this like you would a science experiment. Your argument, or thesis, is yours, but you need evidence to convince the reader that your argument is true, and that evidence comes from your sources.