Madame Delphine LaLaurie was a real woman in New Orleans in the 1800's, so was the character Angela Bassett is playing. LaLaurie tortured and murdered her slaves, including holding them in crude, violent, disgusting cages like we saw in the film. At one point, her mansion was destroyed partially in a fire, and that exposed her cruel ways, so she ran away and escaped being punished for the way she murdered her slaves.