These three autobiographies, written for various purposes related to Lincoln’s political career, shed light on Lincoln’s youth and education. Lincoln prepared the first for Charles Lanman’s “Dictionary of Congress,” which listed biographical information for all members of Congress up to that point. Late in 1859 Jesse Fell, an Illinois Republican, solicited the second autobiography to have it printed in the newspaper the next year when Lincoln was exploring a run for the party’s presidential nomination. This second autobiography details his family history, his childhood in Indiana, and his various careers in Illinois. The final and longest autobiography, written in 1860, was meant to serve as the basis for a longer biography that would buoy his presidential candidacy. It offers further detail on his self-directed education, his military experience, and his political activity.