Would George Washington have spoken with a southern accent or an English accent?

Question

In Virginia in the 1770's -1790's, would the established families of the time have acquired the distinctive souther accent that would come to characterize the south in later times? I have often wondered if we could hear a recording of George Washington what would he have sounded like? Like the Virginia planters of the Civil war era, or the British gentlemen of his time? Has there ever been any linquistic studies on when "American" English began to diverge from "British" English?

Answer 1

Short answer: what Washington spoke would doubtless have sounded more like English accents in certain parts of England in HIS day, because it had descended from them (in the previous century), though the language in England was entering a period of rapid change.
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The answer to your question depends on what you have in mind by an "English accent". If you're thinking of something like the 20th century British "Received Pronunciation", the question is, did ANYONE in Washington's day speak that way?!

Start by noting two simple facts:

1) there never was ONE variety of English spoken in England. (In fact, England of the 17th century and of today has more dialects, with more variations, than ALL the dialects of ALL its former colonies!)

2) NO ONE --British or American-- speaks the same English as was spoken in the colonial period! Both have changed significantly (including what LATER became the "Received Pronunciation" based on a politically dominant London-area dialect). Several features we associate with this dominant "English accent" today did not even exist at the time the colonies were founded!

So, whatever era you're looking at, comparing "American English" and "British English" is not a simple matter.


Now about the type of English spoken in the American colonies --

During the colonial period (1607-1775) there for FOUR main migrations of English speaking people to America from the British Isles. These resulted in four main dialect areas, each based on the dialect of the area of the British Isles from which most of its early settlers ("founders") came. In fact, many of the distinctive features of English in the different regions of the U.S. today can be traced to these.

Thus the English of the American colonists was based on VARIOUS dialects of 17th century BRITISH English. Of course, since they all spoke a LIVING language, BOTH American dialects and British dialects continued to change. Already by the time of the American Revolution there were significant changes had taken place on BOTH sides of the Atlantic. Note that in some cases some British dialects might preserve older patterns (words, accent, etc) and the colonists might innovate; but in other instances older forms would be preserved in AMERICAN dialects, while the British innovated.
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As for Washington --

One of these four migrations was that of the Cavaliers from South England (migrated in 1642-1675). This group eventually dominated the coastal region from Virginia to Florida. Their speech laid the foundation for the development of American Tidewater speech, or Coastal Southern English.

Since George Washington would have been typical of the people who settled his region, he would have shared this Tidewater accent (in its 18th century form). It would have been something like the English dialect (and accent) of the area of Southern England from which his forebears came, but with some changes due to over a century since their separation.


summary of the linguistic features of the four regions
http://pandora.cii.wwu.edu/vajda/ling201/test3materials/AmericanDialects.htm

Answer 2

You had over a hundred years from the time of the first permanent English settlement (Jamestown was settled in 1607) to the time of Washington's birth (George Washington was born in 1732). On top of that there were several other nations which founded colonies in what would become the United States during that period (Spain's first colony actually predates the Roanoke Island colony, aka the Lost Colony, which predated Jamestown). Because of this there was ample time for the American accents to develop by the time Washington was born. The mixture of English, French, Dutch, Spanish, Scottish, German, and Native American would have caused the evolution of the American accent by the time he was born. But it's not as simple as would he have spoken with an American accent as you'd have to look at the distinct regional accent he would have had. He would have spoken with a Southern American accent which would have been different from a New England American accent. And because he was from Virginia his Southern accent wouldn't be quite the same as that of the Deep South which would be a bit thicker.

Answer 3

I believe he would have spoken with an accent that was closer to a Southern accent. Nobody can really know.

I wish I could recall a linguistic study I once read many years ago that suggested the English accent as we know it today evolved in the early 19th century. It further speculated that the english of that day was closer to a Southern accent and offered proof that revolved around certain dialects found in parts of Appalachia where old forms of words and colloquialisms remained in use whereas other parts of the country had dropped the term long ago. One word I recall from the article was the word chimley still in use where we would say chimney. For example, if you enter the word chimley in the search engine, you will be asked if you really mean chimney.

I regret I cannot recall the source. Best regards.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

Excellent question, very popular with the experts. It must be remembered that America, by the Federalist Period, had been losing touch with England and English for 200 years.

News from America almost always brought word of how poorly the language was being passed down by these backwoods folk.

It is also true that Louisiana and Texas, by 1800, had four to six prominent languages. The Gulf Coast was remote, compared to the Carolinas. People from Maine were unintelligible to people from Tennessee.

I think George would have sounded more like a Virginian than a Londoner.

Answer 6

George was a 3rd generation SOUTHERNER so I would have to say that not only did he speak ENGLISH, but I would guess with all probability, he spoke it with that distinctive (and very nice) Virginia accent. The British English was probably lost on his grannd father who was the first AMERICAN BORN Washington....his great grandfather --John Washington emigrated from the north of England to Westmoreland County, Virginia about the middle of the 17th century.

Answer 7

Different from an Englishman of his time.
The language had had over a century to diverge. Just as Americans were using distinctive words and finding new uses for English words, so I should have expected the accent to have diverged.

Answer 8

After reading George Washington’s First inaugural address:
http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/P/gw1/speeches/wash1.htm

I would say he spoke more like an American and not at all like a BRITT

George Washington
Was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia

He had NO formal education
His occupation before becoming president was:
Planter, Soldier
http://www.ipl.org/div/potus/gwashington.html

His Family on his father’s side came to America before 1658

John Washington came from Purleigh, Essex, England
And married Anne Pope in Virginia on 1 Dec. 1658

George Washington’s Mother was born in Virginia

http://www.ancestry.com/

Answer 9

Yes the American accent began to develop within the first 10 years of colonization. It continues to develop today. In the mid 1700's there are a number of literary comments about "our American Cousins Jonathan accent" in British literature.

Answer 10

Some of the established families had been in the Americas for over 100 years. I'd guess that the accent would have been a blending of the two.

Answer 11

It is actually the British accent that has diverged more than the American accent. Similarly, Brazilian Portuguese is "older" than Portugal Portuguese.

Shakespeare's "accent" was closer to the way Americans now talk, than British now talk.

There was also a strong Scottish influence, due to the number of early settlers from Scotland.