three acres and a cow

The phrase "three acres and a cow" was a British political slogan associated with agrarian reform. It was popularized by Jesse Collings, a politician and reformer who advocated for rural smallholdings and workers' participation in farmland ownership. The slogan encapsulated a vision of enabling agricultural laborers to own land and sustain themselves.1

While not directly using this slogan, the Irish Land League, founded in 1879, also aimed to reform the landlord system under British rule. Their program focused on fair rent, secure tenure, and the free sale of occupancy rights, achieving a legislative victory with the 1881 Land Act.2