The article discusses the rise of class politics in Toronto, Ontario in the era around the Rebellion of 1837. In particular, the introduction of "gentlemanly capitalism" into Upper Canada by British financiers and corporations is discussed, including their creation of what are described as three "fictitious commodities": money, land, and labor. Topics discussed include the introduction of paper money, the rise of chartered corporations as an extension of state power, the creation of a land market, and the effects of these developments on the relations of production for farmers and tradesmen.