So did everyone before 1860 speak with a British accent?

[Al B. Sure!]

And actually, Sloww, according to Minkus, the English used to speak with southern accents

[SlowwHand]

North Carolina. Not my problem.

[Al B. Sure!]

All sounds the same to me

[SlowwHand]

"Shazam!" is Gomer Pyle from "The Andy Griffith Show" which was in North Carolina...and no, it isn't all the same.

[Kuciwalker]

If not, why does Hollywood seem to think so?

There's actually some evidence that the modern American accent is much closer to 18th-century English than the modern British accent.

[Heraclitus]

If not, why does Hollywood seem to think so?

You're forgetting Southerners, Mexicans and Indians.

[Heraclitus]

There's actually some evidence that the modern American accent is much closer to 18th-century English than the modern British accent.

That's what we where taught in English class in High School, how strong would you say the evidence is?

[Dr Strangelove]

The ancient Greeks spoke with British accents (Troy, Alexander), the Romans (HBO's Rome), ancient ice age peoples (10,000 BC), ancient Persians (Prince of Persia), medieval crusaders (Kingdom of Heaven)...

Everybody spoke with British accents... didn't they?

Actually in Alexander the Greeks (Macedonians) spoke with Scottish accents. Thus, Alexander's famous quote before the big battle with the Persians: " Ock! Ye Persians may ta'e our wives, but ye canna ha' our boyfriends!!!"

[Ghaladh]

The same, I ask myself why Italians characters that are speaking in English, are always played by English or American actors that pretend to be Italians speaking in English, with the result that the character will sound like an English trying to imitate (in the wrong way) the Italian accent. Why they do not hire an Italian-American actor? There are a lot of them! :-D

Being even more picky about the English-American accent, I demand that if a character is supposed to come from New-York City, it shouldn't show a Californian accent. There are no actors from New-York??? :-D

[OzzyKP]

There's actually some evidence that the modern American accent is much closer to 18th-century English than the modern British accent.

Interesting. Link?

[Kuciwalker]

No link, it's from a book on colonial history I read about five years ago, will try to figure out the title if I am unlazy enough today.

[Dauphin]

Actually in Alexander the Greeks (Macedonians) spoke with Scottish accents. Thus, Alexander's famous quote before the big battle with the Persians: " Ock! Ye Persians may ta'e our wives, but ye canna ha' our boyfriends!!!"

From my recollection it was full of Irish accents. Or maybe I just remember Colin Farrell is Irish?

[Al B. Sure!]

I got to give credit to Angelina Jolie for her accent in Alexander... It was completely ****ing retarded (what was it? An attempt at Russian?), but at least she got creative with it and didn't talk like a Brit. And considering we have no idea how people spoke back then, it was as good an accent as any.