head money

Head Money, a tax of 50 cents imposed by act of Congress, Aug. 3, 1882, on every immigrant brought to the United States. The national act provides that the tax shall be paid -- by the master or owner of the vessel bringing the immigrants -- to the collector of the port, and by him turned over to the treasury of the United States, to be used by the secretary to defray the expenses of regulating immigration and to relieve such immigrants as are in distress.