Washington grew up where the Tidewater/Piedmont Virginia accent was found. Still is in pockets. “You all” is common there rather then “y’all”.
Thanks.
There are still at least one area where British English is still spoken. I can’t remember where but think it’s in the area you mention.
I detected what sounded like a British Cockney accent in some of the people in the video I sent you.
There is a misnomer about “southern” accents.
First, there is *no* such thing as a “southern” accent.
There is an Americanized Scot/Irish accent spoken in a great deal of the US. It’s characterized by the “hard” R sound. Remember Bob Ewell’s “accent” when he found out Atticus Finch was going to represent Tom Robinson in his trial??
Think southern Ohio/Indiana/Illinois, WV, KY, TN, etc., etc.
I can detect this same accent (albeit smoother) in farmers from Iowa.
There is also an Americanized British aristocratic accent spoken by people in the south nearer the coastal regions from VA to Houston, Tx. That lady from Mobile, Al in Ken Burns’ Documentary about WWII has a classic Americanized British aristocratic accent as did Atticus Finch in the movie TKAM.
I would tend to believe George Washington spoke something more on the order of the Crowley family in Downton Abbey.
(the Crowleys didn’t talk like someone from Liverpool or Edinburgh, or Dublin)
BTW - “Y’all” is the Americanized Scot/Irish accent of the old English word “ye all”.