What did slavery look like in the world of Bridgerton?
Curious.
shareAccording to Wikipedia, Bridgerton begins in 1813.
Trading in slaves was prohibited throughout the British Empire by Act of Parliament in 1807.
Somerset v Stewart, an important case that found there was no legal basis -- and never had been a legal basis -- for slavery in the British Isles themselves, was heard in 1772. Indeed, the Normans banned the slave trade in England when they arrived in 1066. Slavery was never legal in England itself.
The answer to your question is therefore: slavery was hidden out of the way from the world of Bridgerton, overseas in the colonies and in the process of being phased out -- although it was not until 1833 that owning slaves in the British colonies was legislated against.
How did all the African people find their way into the British upper classes? Were they freed slaves?
shareThe spin-off series "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story" released last year deals with this topic in detail.
shareIt's a series set in an alternative historical Britain. It's not meant to be accurate.
shareNo, their wealth came from trading with Europeans.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story depicts how wealthy Black people acquired titles. According to the made-up backstory, when the future Queen Charlotte arrived at court and Princess Augusta realized how dark her skin was, she and the cabinet decided they should ennoble some prominent black families. That is when Lady Danbury’s husband was elevated to the peerage, and soon after Lady Danbury became friends with Queen Charlotte.