A broom brigade was an organized women's group that performed military-style drills using brooms instead of rifles during the late 19th century. These brigades became particularly popular in the 1880s across the United States, especially during patriotic events such as the Fourth of July. The term was famously referenced by Mark Twain in his book Life on the Mississippi (1883), where he described watching a group of women in New Orleans perform their drills with "grace, spirit, and admirable precision", humorously noting that they did everything with a broom except sweep.
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Broom brigades were aligned with the "Culture of Domesticity" prevalent at the time, which emphasized women's roles as caretakers and homemakers, but their participation in public demonstrations of martial skill—such as military drills and marches—also signaled shifting gender norms and the expanding roles of women in public life, including activities traditionally associated with men. [1] [2] [3]