Allan Pinkerton

Born in Glasgow in 1819, Allan Pinkerton trained as a cooper before political trouble and hard times pushed him to emigrate to the United States. He settled near Chicago, and what began as accidental detective work soon turned into a new career built on tracking criminals, gathering evidence, and developing a reputation for persistence.

In 1850 he founded the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, which grew into one of the most famous private investigative organizations in the country. During the American Civil War he worked in intelligence for the Union, serving General George B. McClellan and becoming closely linked with stories of espionage, surveillance, and the protection of Abraham Lincoln.

Pinkerton also wrote memoirs and detective narratives that helped shape his public image and the legend of the private investigator. By the time of his death in 1884, his name had become almost synonymous with detective work in the United States, leaving a mark on both real law enforcement history and popular culture.