The Pinkerton National Detective Agency

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The Pinkerton National Detective Agency

• 
  
• 
  Herbert Nunes
• 
  
  Professor Linda Conrad
• 
  
  CMP104MAL
• 
  
  4 March 2008

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We Never Sleep
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Established in 1850 by Allan Pinkerton

• Commonly known as Pinkertons
• Security guards
• Detectives
• Strike breakers
• Once had more agents than U.S. army

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Allan Pinkerton 1819-1884

• Born in Scotland
• Cooper by trade
• Active in Chartist movement
• 1842- moved to U.S.

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Chartism

• Political social reform
• 6 major points
• Universal suffrage, equal voting districts,
  secret ballot voting, pay for parliament, abolish
  land qualification for parliament, annual
  elections
• First working class movement in the world

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Pinkerton in the U.S.

• First detective in Chicago
• Opened PNDA 1850
• Logo private eye
• Solved train robberies
• Developed techniques-shadowing/undercover
• Provides security detection for railroads

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Union Intelligence Service

• Pre secret service
• Solves several high profile cases meets Lincoln
• Becomes head of Lincolns security
• Foils assassination plot on way to inauguration

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Mercenaries

• Hired to quell anti-slavery, pro suffrage
  revolution in Cuba
• 1800 turn from ideals of Chartists

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A New Service Strike Breaking

• Hires out to business owners in the fight against
  organized labor
• Trickery, deceit, violence - common tools used

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Molly Maguires

• Secret Irish organization
• Considered a radical faction of labor unions
• Had presence in Penn coal mines

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Agent James McParlan

• Pinkerton agent hired by mine owners to
  infiltrate Mollies
• Goes undercover to gather info on crimes plots
  by strikers
• Investigation goes very slowly

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Pinkerton

• Recommends vigilante activity
• 4 months later Mollies attacked in their homes
• 2 dead(including the wife of a Mollie)/2 wounded
• McParlan incensed

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Conspiracy Charges

• More than 25 union officials arrested and tried
• DA is also mine owner Franklin Gowan
• Strike ends after 6 months
• Workers forced to accept 20 pay cut

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Homestead

• Home of Carnegie Steel Company
• Workers represented by The Amalgamated
  Association of Iron and Steel Workers
• Strong union/won 2 previous strikes

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Henry Clay Frick

• Partner of Carnegie
• Anti-union
• Avowed enemy of the AA
• Determined to crush the union

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Homestead Strike

• Technically a lockout
• Bitter dispute
• Pinkertons hired as strike breakers
• Dire results

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Bloodshed

• 300 Pinks brought in by 2 barges
• Strikers lay in wait
• Fire fights throughout night and into morning
• Many killed on both sides

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Pinkertons Driven Out

• Pinks allowed to surrender
• Some beaten by crowd
• Escorted by rail out of town
• No charges ever brought

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Strike Ends

• State militia called in by Govenor
• Strike breakers brought back in to protect
  replacement workers
• Legal action against strikers
• Homestead Strike breaks AA

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Lafollette Civil Liberties Committee

• Investigates industrial espionage and strike
  breaking methods
• Pinkerton agency named in report
• No legislation, but public outcry ensues
• Pinkerton agency moves towards security
• 2003 bought by Securitas Security Services