Pinkerton

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Pinkerton, founded as the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, is a private security and detective agency operating in the United States of America. Founded in 1850 by Allan Pinkerton—a Scottish immigrant barrel-maker turned Chicago police detective—the Pinkerton National Detective Agency was one of America's most notorious crime-prevention and private security firms of the late 19th century.

History

Though Pinkerton initially specialized in train robberies and counterfeit cases, after foiling a plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln—who would later hire the agency as his personal 'secret service' during the American Civil War—the fledgling enterprise garnered a reputation as America's go-to office for counter-intelligence and security operations. By the early 1870s, it had grown into the largest private law enforcement organization in the world.

Adhering to a strict code of ethics and defined by its striking company logo—the supposed inspiration of the term 'private eye'—at its heyday, the Pinkerton agency counted more employees than the standing U.S. army and, using its extensive collection of mugshots, established the world's first criminal database. It was frequently subcontracted for its role in the hunt and capture of outlaws like Wild Bill and Jesse James, but as the 19th century drew to a close and ownership passed to Allan's sons Robert and William, the agency's public perception would take a darker turn.

Pinkerton's involvement with the labor strikes of the 1890s would ultimately prove to be their downfall. The company's past use of heavy-handed tactics, coupled with accusations of violence from union sympathizers, led to public outcry, culminating in the events of the Homestead Strike of 1892, when a firefight involving 300 Pinkerton agents led to the death of 16 men. Pinkerton's reputation was left in tatters, and the company spent years struggling to rebuild it. Nevertheless, the agency endured, and today Pinkerton Inc. has grown into a billion-dollar multinational organization, remaining one of the world's leading providers of security.

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Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants – Locus