Final answer:
Mr. "A" burdened the ranch with an option agreement, impacting his legal rights and potentially the property's value.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Mr. "A" gave Mr. "B" an option to buy his ranch, he burdened the ranch with an option agreement.
This is a legal arrangement where the owner grants another party the right, but not the obligation, to buy the property at a predetermined price within a specified time period. The presence of an option agreement can impact the owner's ability to sell the property to others during the option period and may affect the property's value since there's a potential future obligation tied to it.
Such arrangements can influence the owner's and the property's rights, representing a form of encumbrance. In a broader economic context, when farmers and settlers in the past were burdened with high costs, debt, and challenging conditions, their property and livelihoods were also impacted by various financial and environmental burdens.