Biography of Allan Pinkerton

Allen Pinkerton was Born in Glasgow, Scotland on August 25, 1819 and died

July 1, 1884 in Chicago Illinois. He was a Scottish born detective and an owner

and founder of a detective agency. He was also a son of a police officer who had

left the force due to an injury in the Chariot Riots and by him not being able to

work it cause a hardship for his family and shortly after the injury Allen Pinkerton

father passed away. Which lead Allen to look for work to provide for his family at

a young age.

Allen Pinkerton took a job as a young cooper, which he did not keep for very

long due to participation in the Chariot movement, which is a huge movement

that dealt with social and political reform. He became concerned for his future

and his life and also had a warrant, due to this movement and he immigrated to

the United States in 1842. He moved in a community like where he had came

from in the U.S and became and freely speaking abolitionist. Allen was also a

Conductor for the Underground Railroad. He then relocated to Dundee a town in

Kane County were he set up shop for a barrel company and got married.

One day he was out cutting and gathering wood he notice a group of

counterfeiters and shortly after he was appointed the deputy of Kane county

which this was his late start in his career in law enforcement. He was looked up

to for his accomplishments of being a law abiding citizen and due to the nature of

his work he was very cautious of his surroundings, which his braveness lead him

to a position for a part time deputy.

Mr. Pinkerton Later he left the position in Kane county and became one of

Chicago police officer, which he resigned and became one of the first private first

detective agencies. His agency was known to have the largest portfolio of mug

shots and criminal database in the world in 1870. His agency was a success the

logo for his company was the sight seeing eye, which is there another way for

saying private eye. In 1861 he was investigating a theft on a railroad case and

came across a to kill Abraham Lincoln in Baltimore on his way to the president

inauguration. In response to uncovering his plan President Lincoln encouraged

him to open up the first secret service agency so that all information during the

Civil War activities would be known.

Allan of then travel under alias for undercover work. In 1865 he left and bean

working on his own detective agency and the secret service was still continuing

on their work with the main focus of abolishing counterfeiters. Pinkerton’s

officers and agents played a major role as strikebreakers in the late 1800’s. He

was not popular for dealing with groups such as. Disagreement and

confrontations began when agents supported the opposition of the union.

Mr. Allen Pinkerton turned his agency over to his two sons, were as he just

took a break from the stress but was still involved in the company and maintained

control of it guidance and policy and procedures within his career he has arrested

famous train robbers (the James Gang) of private corps of armed guards and

events to help break labor unions. As a result of this he was very unlinked and

was considered a threat to these groups. Mr. Pinkerton live a great life and has

many successful books that he has wrote about his life he was a very well

respected man and he carried on a legacy that still lives on today.

References :

Pinkerton, Allan, The and the detective, New York: Arno Press, 1976 c1874. S. A. Lavine; R. W. Rowan, The Pinkertons (1931); J. D. Horan, Desperate Men (1949) and The Pinkertons (1967). Retrieved 02:30, May 30 2010

Cyndi Banks. "Pinkerton Detective Agency: Bounty Hunters", Issues, 02/12/2007 Retrieved 02:35, May 30 2010

http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com Retrieved 02:37, May 30 2010

http://www.biography.com/articles/Allan-Pinkerton-9441102 Retrieved 02:38, May 30 2010

Allan Pinkerton. (2010). Biography.com. Retrieved 02:39, May 30 2010 from http://www.biography.com/articles/Allan-Pinkerton-9441102