Question

18. The purpose of poll taxes in southern states was to

A. discourage white people from voting .
B. raise money for cash-strapped southern states.
C. discourage African Americans from voting.
D. raise money for the South in the Civil War.

Answer 1

Correct answer:

C. discourage African Americans from voting.

Poll taxes means you have to pay a tax before allowed to vote. That's a way of preventing poor persons (like blacks in the South) from voting.

In addition to poll taxes, other measures were also used to block blacks from participating in the voting process. For instance, literacy tests would require persons to pass certain standards of reading and writing in order to qualify for voting. These tests were aimed at blacks, who had not had access to the same education as whites.

Answer 2

The purpose of the poll taxes in Southern states was to discourage African Americans from voting. The correct option in respect to all the options given in the question is option "C". In the United States of America the poll tax was a prerequisite for people to vote and this was implemented in several states. This was a discriminating measure that actually wanted to prevent the African Americans from voting. This tax emerged during the 19th century in several states of America.