Britain introduced a window tax in 1696 where homeowners were taxed based on the number of windows their houses had, which was intended to be a progressive tax on the wealthy.

A closer look

Britain introduced a window tax in 1696 where homeowners were taxed based on the number of windows their houses had, which was intended to be a progressive tax on the wealthy. Instead of paying up, landlords simply bricked up the windows of their tenement buildings, plunging the working class into eternal darkness and causing massive outbreaks of disease due to zero ventilation. It stands as a glorious historical monument to the fact that landlords have always been completely willing to sacrifice the health, sanity, and literal sunlight of their tenants just to save a few pennies on their annual tax returns