The New England states are home to many long and proud cultural traditions, including the practices of indigenous Northeast tribes, the legacy of Puritan settlers, the Portuguese coastal communities, Maine's Acadian population, and many other spheres of influence. The historical paintings of John Trumbull, the Cape Cod house, the locally set work of John Irving and Stephen King, Celtic and French-Canadian music, lobstermen and maple syrup culture, the Southy accent and the Curse of the Bambino—all these things and countless more have contributed to region's identity. Thirteen topical essays from leading scholars provide a detailed and fascinating overview of the cultures of New England. States include Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The Greenwood Encyclopedia of American Regional Cultures is the first rigorous reference collection on the many ways in which American identity has been defined by its regions and its people. Each of its eight regional volumes presents thoroughly researched narrative chapters on Architecture; Art; Ecology & Environment; Ethnicity; Fashion; Film & Theater; Folklore; Food; Language; Literature; Music; Religion; and Sports & Recreation. Each book also includes a volume-specific introduction, as well as a series foreword by noted regional scholar and former National Endowment for the Humanities chairman William Ferris, who served as Consulting Editor for this encyclopedia.