History

The history of the broom can be found in a number of resources, and can explore the original brooms of old to the modern style used today. History  includes the process of growing, harvesting, dyeing, and can look at the legacy of brooms in cultures and traditions, such as "jumping the broom". 

This page is simply a quick summary to provide you a little information and context. I encourage you to  look at other resources such as the book Swept Away, the Vanishing Art of Broom Making by K. Hobbs (2017) and review her End Notes and Bibliography of References, which provides full citations.

History of the broom in two paragraphs goes something like this:

The concept of the broom has been around for a very long time-a bunch of indiscriminate tree or shrub branches tied together  in a "round" bundle to sweep out a cave, cabin, or castle. Even the wing of a turkey was used to "sweep" away the ash from a fireplace, giving rise to the name of one of the broom patterns made today "turkey-wing". Willow, birch, and heather have been used as well as splitting a hickory stick, creating "splinters" that were tied together as one piece. Once broomcorn was more common,  A cost saving technique during WWI was to surround swamp grass/bear grass with broom corn. 

Broomcorn is now considered the standard in the U.S. Broomcorn is a type of sorghum introduced to the US in the 1700s by Ben Franklin. It is a natural fiber, which is harvested and can be dyed.  It was the Shaker women of New England and the slaves of the South who flattened the round broom by sewing it below the handle, increasing its coverage and efficiency. The broom is created by winding waxed thread around the fiber in a variety of patterns. The brush can be sewn to add stiffness or left free. It can be assembled with or without an added handle.

The introduction of broomcorn to the US resulted in new crops grown and a whole industry created which has continued to evolve over time with a slight return to re-appreciating the handmade artisan boom created by individuals and not by machines. Broom corn can also be dyed similar to basket reed and wool, which gives artisans additional options for creativity.