At the peak of their existence, the Pinkerton Detective Agency was *the* crime fighting machine in the United States. They hired the first female detective, notoriously saved Abraham Lincoln from being killed on a train by dressing him in a disguise, among other feats. But, they admittedly had their flaws as well. However, without the Pinkertons' contributions to the industry, we would not have the CIA, FBI, and law enforcement as we know it today. SOURCES:www.legendsofamerica.com/pinkertons/www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/james-agency/#:~:text=Scottish%20emigrant%20and%20abolitionist%20Allan,James%20brothers%2C%20and%20he%20failedwww.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-pinkertons. www.britannica.com/biography/Allan-Pinkerton.www.britannica.com/event/Chartism-British-history.www.intelligence.gov/evolution-of-espionage/civil-war/union-espionage/allan-pinkerton. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.