The New Student's Reference Work/Poll-Tax

Poll-Tax, a tax levied by the poll or head. In England the imposition of a graduated poll-tax in the time of Richard III led to Wat Tyler’s rebellion in 1381. A similar tax was imposed in 1513. A tax, varying from 12d for a private person to £100 for a duke, was assessed in 1678 and abolished in 1689. In the United States some states impose a poll-tax varying from $1 to $3, while in others the imposition of such a tax is expressly forbidden by the state constitution.