150 years ago was there a New York City accent? A Southern accent? A New England accent?

Answer 1

Yes. Because the U.S. is a melting pot of different cultures they all influenced the speech patterns of the areas in which they settled. For instance the Brooklyn, NY accent is said to have developed from a combination of French/Dutch and English settlers in the early 17th Century.

Answer 2

Let me work this out, 150 years ago.
The year was 1857. Pre civil war.
The short answer to this question is yes, these areas of the USA did have distinct accents even then.
(But of course, you don't get a short answer from me)

~ The New York dialect of the English language is spoken by most European Americans who were raised in New York City and much of its metropolitan area including the lower Hudson Valley, western Long Island, and in northeastern New Jersey.
It is often considered to be one of the most recognizable accents within American English.
The variations of the New York accent are a result of the layering of ethnic speech from the waves of immigrants that settled in the city, from the earliest settlement by the Dutch and English, followed in the 1800s by the Irish and Midwesterners (typically of French, German, Irish, Scandinavian, and Scottish descent).
Over time these collective influences "ganged" together to give New York its distinctive accent.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_accent#Ethnic_and_racial_factors

~ Southern dialects substantially originated from immigrants from the British Isles who moved to the South in the 17th and 18th centuries. The South was known for being largely settled by English from the South West - the West Country.
Settlement was also made by peoples from other parts of the British isles, particularly by Protestants from Ulster and Scotland.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_American_English#Overview_of_Southern_dialects

~ By far the most interesting of your three American accents is the New England one. Several dialects of American English are spoken in New England. These include:
* The Eastern New England dialect, most famously typified by the Boston accent
* The Rhode Island accent
* The Western New England accent, including Vermont
English.
These accents originated from the accents of the Puritans who came mainly from England.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England#Accents

BTW, this is a really interesting question.

Answer 3

Lol it is purely too humorous. can no longer wait visit the states this summer season. i've got constantly enjoyed the enormous apple accessory and the southern accessory is actual lovable. I in no way knew Californians stated words like Stoaked and Radical in spite of the shown fact that, lol.

Answer 4

Yes, and more so than today. Television and the movies have evened out regional variations.

Answer 5

Now there is just the pretentious soul-patch.

Answer 6

Idk, but you told me to answer, so here you go.