Biography of Allan Pinkerton Cjs 240

Biography of Allen Pinkerton

James Waylon Jahns

Facilitator Maloon

Introduction to Security

April 14, 2013

Biography of Allen Pinkerton

Introduction

Sometimes a person may be considered evil or commit atrocities, however, in the long run the end result may present that same person as a legend. The ends may not justify the means but it may provide alternatives, and in some circumstances, create opportunities for the future.

“The man dubbed America's first "private eye" was born near Glasgow, Scotland, on July 21, 1819” (American Experience, 2010). Born, the son of a handloom weaver cum jailer, in Glasgow, Scotland Allen Pinkerton became involved in the local political reform movement where his actions were rewarded in the form of a warrant for his arrest. In 1842 Pinkerton moved to the United States, upon his arrival Pinkerton established a business known as a Cooper shop.

Photo credits: encyclopedia.com

According to West's Encyclopedia of American Law (2005), Pinkerton was an abolitionist (activist against slavery). Pinkerton’s barrel making shop also served as part of the Underground Railroad, helping escaped slaves make to freedom in the North. Pinkerton helped to discover a ring of counterfeiters, West's Encyclopedia of American Law (2005), explains that Pinkerton’s assistance in the investigation and capture of the counterfeiters resulted in his appointment as a deputy sheriff in Kane County, Illinois, Pinkerton later became a full time detective in Chicago. Pinkerton quit his job in 1850 and established the Pinkerton National Detective Agency specializing in the capture of counterfeiters and train robbers.

During the Civil War Pinkerton became well known for his part in preventing the assassination of President-Elect Abraham Lincoln, he was also tasked with the job of establishing a secret service force...