A very brief sketch of a few major American accents and the groups of immigrants that contributed to some of their their major characteristics:
- New England = East Anglian Puritans
- Midwest, (such as Chicago) = German immigrants
- Northern Midwest (Wisconsin and Minnesota) = German and Scandinavian
- Parts of New York City = Italian, Irish, and Eastern European immigrants
- Southern seaboard (such as Carolinas, Georgia) = West Country English (This was Shakespeare's English)
- Appalachia (notably Tennesee and Kentucky) = Scotch-Irish immigrants from Northern Ireland (This accent is what Americans hear in Country Music)
- Deep South = perhaps some influence from West African languages via slaves (although this is still hotly debated)
- California - Californian and other western accents are especially interesting, if difficult to analyze because the region has recently had a massive influx of transplants from all over the US. One theory is that the California accent tends to neutralize the more extreme or unusual features of other regional dialects, creating a sort of bland, unoffensive homogenous mix. This process is supported by Hollywood's disdain for anyone with a strange accent - most movie stars and TV personalities have to learn a certain type of neutral accent