Louisiana had a long history of imposing poll taxes on its citizens. The money collected was used to fund public schools. (A poll tax is a fee placed on eligible voters--it must be paid or you can't vote.) The poll tax was featured in five of Louisiana's constitutions, and in dozens of its acts.
It was finally repealed in the 1930's, at the behest of Huey P. Long, who claimed that poor people paid too many taxes.
Courtesy Historic New Orleans Collection
