by John Mead
•The Pinkerton Agency, established 1850, had a formidable reputation as a detective agency, eventually becoming almost a de facto federal force, before moving into ‘security’ and leaving detection to others. In 1856 Kate Warne was hired, she was the first female detective in America and her abilities were highly regarded by Allan Pinkerton. In 1884 the founder, Allan Pinkerton, died and his sons, Robert and William, took over.
•The growth of labour unrest at this time went hand in hand with the rapid growth in industrialisation and the exploitation of workers; with violence occurring on both sides of the picket line. The Knights of Labour movement grew rapidly in the 1880’s as it supported better conditions of all workers, male and female, regardless of race. Their rallying song was ‘Hold the Fort’, a civil war song to inspire their members to persevere despite the violence they often faced. In May 1886 the Haymarket riot and bombings, though known to be caused by unaffiliated anarchists, destroyed the Knights of Labour’s reputation and membership collapsed.
•We think of street gangs as being a phenomenon of the modern age but the reality is they have existed for as long as there have been cities. The early gangs of Chicago were formed mainly round ethnic and family ties, usually for the protection of the neighbourhoods in which they lived, over time they turned malevolent and criminal becoming the forerunners of modern gangsters. Several large Irish gangs, such as the Dukies and the Shielders, existed in 1880 Chicago though mainly around the stockyards (the Black Hands was the name of the early mafia, who began to take hold at the turn of the century).
•Politicians of the day were no more corrupt, hypocritical and self-seeking than they are today. Which isn’t saying a great deal.