Essay On Allan Pinkerton

American investigator and spy Allan Pinkerton is largely regarded as the father of modern detective work. He was born in 1819 in Glasgow, Scotland, and later immigrated to America where he established the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. Pinkerton was one of the most renowned detectives of his era thanks to his daring exploits and high-profile cases throughout his life and career.

Allan Pinkerton was the youngest of seven children born to William Pinkerton, a police sergeant in Glasgow. Pinkerton began an apprenticeship as a cooper when he finished his education. He joined the Chartists, a working-class political movement that pushed for social reform, due to his political activism. He was arrested in 1842 because of his affiliation with

President Abraham Lincoln employed Pinkerton’s agency in 1861 to serve as his guard detail while traveling to Washington, D.C. for his inauguration. Pinkerton was instrumental in foiling an attempt on the presidents life. Pinkerton rode the same train as Lincoln while wearing a farmer's disguise. He discovered a conspiracy by Confederate sympathizers to assassinate Lincoln in Baltimore and immediately put together a scheme to smuggle Lincoln through the city as a sick traveler. Lincoln made it to Washington without incident once the strategy proved effective. Pinkerton's success in foiling the assassination plot established his reputation as a skilled detective, increased his profile in the world of law enforcement, and cemented his relationship with Lincoln. As stated by Legends of America Lincoln later “hired the Pinkerton Detective Agency to organize a “secret service” to obtain military information on the Confederates and sometimes act as Lincoln’s bodyguard” (“Pinkerton Detective Agency – for 150 Years – Legends of

Businesses routinely commissioned the agencies’ services to offer security during strikes and other labor conflicts. Their agents were notoriously disliked by labor unions for using force against striking workers and for frequently being viewed as being on the side of management. The Pennsylvania Homestead Strike in 1892 brought this issue to a climax. The Carnegie Steel Company recruited Pinkerton's agents to end the strike, which resulted in a hostile encounter. The striking workers eventually drove the Pinkerton agents from Homestead, and the event marked a turning point in American labor relations history. This participation in labor disputes brought to light the nuanced and frequently contentious relationship between law enforcement, business, and organized