Genteel Southern Accents
Posted by Captain Everett on April 22, 1998 at 17:12:16:
In response to Another question, o learned one, written by MB on April 22, 1998 at 13:08:12
] ...I once heard... that the Southern dialects remained more genteel because the residents of the Southern colonies weren't as militantly anti-British.... Michele
I don't really know how valid that agruement would be. Being a Canadian, I'm not as familiar with American history as I might be, but here's what I can see. Those regions of the US seem to have gone through various stages in their pro-/anti-Britishness. I know that New England was in many ways the cradle of the Revolution. During the Rev war a large portion of the South remained Loyalist (or Tory depending on your viewpoint). However, by the time of the War of 1812, New England was against the War, and Southerners were amongst its most ardent supporters. By the Civil War, the South had gone back to being more pro-British. In part the genteelness of the South was a desire to imitate the aristocracy of England. I think the most important factor was that the North received a much more varied type of immigrant, and in far greater numbers, than did the south. Thus the South did not experience as many new influences as did the North.
I remain, etc
Jason E.
- Immigrants and Others MB 16:21:28 4/23/98
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