Final answer:
The Texas Grangers were a grassroots movement of farmers seeking agricultural reform and regulation of services affecting their livelihoods in the post-Reconstruction period. They were not specifically identified with Republicans or Democrats but aimed for policies that would benefit the farming community.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Texas Grangers were members of a group called the Patrons of Husbandry, an organization that sought to advance the interests of farmers. In Texas and other Southern states, the Grangers were involved in the agricultural reform movement and often included many former Confederates who were dissatisfied with the political power structure during and after the Reconstruction period.
The Texas Grangers were not strictly affiliated with a single political party but were rather a grassroots movement. They exerted substantial influence in Texas politics, including advocating for the regulation of railroad and grain elevator rates, and they supported initiatives that they believed would benefit the farming community.
Given the provided options and the history, none of them accurately define who the Texas Grangers were. The closest choice, though it still isn't entirely accurate, might be Democrats seeking reform of big government associated with the reconstruction, but the Texas Grangers' focus was specifically agricultural reform and the interests of farmers rather than a general big government reform agenda.