The Declaration Of Independence Wasn't Really Complaining About King George, And 5 Other Surprising Facts For July Fourth Please share this article - Go to very top of page, right hand side, for social media buttons. His forthcoming book “Liberty is Sweet: The Hidden History of the American Revolution" shows how independence and the Revolutionary War were influenced by women, Indigenous and enslaved people, religious dissenters and other once-overlooked Americans. In celebration of the United States’ 245th birthday, Holton offers six surprising facts about the nation’s founding document - including that it failed to achieve its most immediate goal and that its meaning has changed from the founding to today.