Allan Pinkerton, born August 25, 1819 in Glasgow, Scotland was not so much a spy as an innovator of the methodology of detective work. He was born a cooper and practiced this trade for much of his early life, but was destined to enter the world of law enforcement. He emigrated from Scotland to the United States and lived outside of Chicago for a time, working as a cooper until becoming involved in police work.
The famous Pinkerton National Detective Agency was founded in 1852 and was the first official detective agency in the US. Pinkerton’s successes caused demand for his skills to skyrocket. He became involved in solving a number of cases, from train robberies to hunting down fugitives from the law.
