Allan Pinkerton and his Secret Role in the Underground Railroad

After the war, in 1865, Pinkerton resumed management of his detective agency. By this time, the U.S. Secret Service had been established to fight counterfeiting. By 1901, its mission included protecting the president. In the late 1800s, Pinkerton guards and agents played an unpopular role as strike breakers. This was in stark contrast to his earlier socialist politics.

The frustration is in trying to learn more about the cooper shop of Allan Pinkerton and his role in the Underground Railroad. As carefully as Pinkerton cultivated a database of criminals, he was equally careful in covering his tracks in his role in the Underground Railroad. Pinkerton not only knew how to catch criminals, he likely knew how a criminal thought. And being able to think the other side, he no doubt could foresee any problems in aiding runaway slaves. The mind of a criminologist certainly is adept at cleverly concealing his own illegal activity.

Allan Pinkerton-private eye, body guard to Lincoln, and now we know he was a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad in Chicago and Kane County.

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Check out the following books and video, available at Amazon through the Suite marketplace:

The Pinkerton Eye by Allen P. Bristow

Thirty Years a Detective: Thorough and Comprehensive Expose on Criminal Practices of All Grades and Classes by Allan Pinkerton

Allan Pinkerton: The First Private Eye by James Mackay

Allan Pinkerton: The Original Private Eye (Lerner Biographies) by Judith Pinkerton Josephson

Allan Pinkerton (Outlaws & Lawmen of the Wild West) by Carl R. Green and William R. Sanford

Biography: Allan Pinkerton (Original VHS) Allan Pinkerton

Allan Pinkerton;: America's first private eye by Sigmund A Lavine

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