poll tax

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Thoreau believed slavery was morally reprehensible, and refused to pay a poll tax supporting the government that allowed it.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

Thoreau spent a night in jail for refusing to pay a poll tax, objecting to slavery and the Mexican War.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

That history motivates former Democratic Senator Rodney Ellis, who sponsored the Senate resolution to abolish the poll tax and remove the old stigma.

From Washington Times • Aug. 20, 2023

Mr Sheridan rose to prominence in Scotland as the public face of a campaign against paying the controversial poll tax in the late 1980s.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2023

One barrier facing potential voters was the poll tax, a special tax required of all voters that many blacks and poor whites could not afford to pay.

From "Because They Marched" by Russell Freedman