The Tribe of Ishmael: A Study in Social Degradation

Published in 1913, The Tribe of Ishmael is a sociological study of a group of rural people in midwestern America. Author Oscar Carleton McCulloch argues that the descendants of Ishmael, the son of Abraham who was cast out into the wilderness, represent a distinct social class characterized by poverty, illiteracy, and social isolation. Although the ideas in this book have been largely discredited by modern social science, it is still an interesting historical artifact.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.