When Did Americans Lose Their British Accents ?

[Wentworth]

Although my family came to the Hudson River Valley prior to the American Revolution from England -- ( we had a charter for what the documents call a "significant" amount of land from King George III -- which they managed to lose by siding with the crown in the Revolution) -- I can assure you that I do not have a British accent....so when did it disappear in my family and other England transplants? Please see story:

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/when-did-americans-lose-their-british-accents?utm_source=pocket-newtab

[Bligh]

Very interesting.
When re-enacting we try to look at Shakespearian English. The rhyme in his and other poets of that era are a clue to how words sounded. Alot of English throughout the 17th Cent was based on this and in King James bible you can also pick out the speech patterns themselves with thou and thee etc. It is widely believed that if you can combine Yorkshire accents with Welsh and Cornish you would have a good appreoximation of how the layperson spoke by the English Civil War period. A Far remove from the Middle ages with Chauser's English.
When I was in Williamsburg, I did not feel at all out of place in the American Revolutionary period town speaking in my Nottingham dialect.
Great article Bill.
Rob.