Pinkerton (detective agency)
Also known as: Pinkerton National Detective Agency
Pinkerton is an American private investigation agency and security company established around 1850 in the United States by Scottish-born American cooper Allan Pinkerton and Chicago attorney Edward Rucker as the North-Western Police Agency, which later became Pinkerton & Co.
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Founder and namesake of the agency
A Scottish-born cooper who established the agency in 1850, originally known as the North-Western Police Agency.
Infamous labor conflict involving agency agents
The 1892 violent confrontation between striking steelworkers and Pinkerton agents remains a defining, controversial event in the agency's history.
High-profile client of the agency
Allan Pinkerton and his agents were instrumental in uncovering the Baltimore Plot to assassinate Lincoln before his 1861 inauguration.
Major expansion period for agency operations
The agency gained national prominence during the Civil War, notably providing intelligence services for the Union Army and protecting Abraham Lincoln.
Historical adversary of the agency
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the agency was frequently hired by corporations to infiltrate and suppress labor union activities.
Core professional domain of the agency
The Pinkerton agency defined the modern private investigation industry, setting standards for surveillance and intelligence gathering.