What is the main idea of Chapter 5 of A People's History of the United States?

Chapter 5 of
examines the level of support of the American men who fought against the
British in the Revolutionary War. Perhaps only 1/3 of the men were real patriots who served
loyally throughout the conflict. Southerners were often more concerned about potential slave
revolts than fighting the British.

Most of the fighting was done by the
poorest men, too. As some Americans fought the British, there was anotherinternalAmerican
conflict between rich and poor. Although some common soldiers were not getting paid, rich and
well-connected businessmen put profit over patriotism. Frustrated soldiers mutinied on more than
one occasion. State constitutions drawn up during the war typically limited voting rights to men
with property. In other words, poor men could fightbut not vote. "George Washington was the
richest man in America," Zinn notes. John Hancock and Benjamin Franklin were also very
well-off. Affluent men ran the Continental Congress....