"Among the family of housekeeping implements, the broom—humble, deceptively
simple in design, prone to leaning unobtrusively in corners—does not often
enjoy the recognition it deserves. Household cleanliness begins and ends at
the tips of a broom’s fibers, whether they’re natural or synthetic. A good,
stiff bundle of stick and straw can make equally easy work of a crumb-strewn
kitchen or a porch sagging with the weight of autumn leaves. ... But who
invented the broom? And why does it work the way it works?"

http://www.slate.com/articles/life/d...ame_flat_.html

[Spoiler: It was the Shakers]