Did You Know... (PI Historical Trivia 6)

The federal government recognized the need for private detectives in the 1860's during the Civil War when President Lincoln knew that there were spies running between the Union and Confederate armies. To address the problem, Lincoln authorized the use of detectives to infiltrate the Confederate army. Allen Pinkerton created this covert organization of spies for the president. This covert service later became known as the United States Secret Service.