If you're interested in knowing about the origins of government agencies like the FBI, the Secret Service, and the CIA, look no further than Pinkerton Agency history. It may seem like the vestige of a bygone era, but it's still around. The Pinkerton National Detective Agency, founded by Allan Pinkerton, established itself as a surveillance and intelligence body during the second half of the 19th century. The agency created the foundation for the "alphabet soup" of US security existing today.