We The People and Our Freedom Charters

I am a history enthusiast and a trained mental health therapist who began writing We the People and Our Freedom Charters on Father’s Day 2017 because I was distraught about the lack of education and understanding many American people seem to have about the United States and our system of government. This was originally meant as a letter to my children, but it slowly evolved into a book that I could publish. As a history enthusiast, I fell in love with America and our founding documents in the 8th grade and never stopped educating myself on the subject. As a trained therapist, I started to view America and our founding documents through the lenses of psychology and sociology. While “The Charters of Freedom” are the names of the physical documents owned by the National Archives, Our Freedom Charters is the title I have given to the ideas within these documents. These ideas have come to us over thousands of years of human experience, and they belong to We the People of the United States.
What I have created is a book driven by the desire to understand and explain the American constitutional system in a unique way. Part One is our family tree, Part 2 is our family of origin, Part 3 is our conception, birth, and infancy, and Part 4 is our developed personality and character. Through this perspective, I believe I have found what our system is and why it is what it is.

Magna Carta

Declaration of Independence

The Constitution of the United States

The Bill of Rights

This single nation of separate states is pieced together from thousands of years of human experience in countless societies throughout human history. Understanding the efforts and intentions that have produced this extraordinary country is instrumental to its current greatness and future success. To fully appreciate the founding philosophy and internal workings of our Freedom Charters, one must understand their original source, fundamental premises, and systematic processes. Most essential is the belief that people possess inherent natural rights, and these rights are not derived from other human beings or government entities, but from a conscious creator of nature and humanity.
Our Founding Document Through the Lenses of Human Psychology and Sociology

Part 1
Our Family Tree

Part 3
Our Conception, Birth and Infancy


Part 2
Our Family of Origin

Part 4
Our Developed Personality and Character

Part 1
Our Family Tree

Part 2
Our Family of Origin


Part 3
Our Conception, Birth and Infancy

Part 4
Our Developed Personality and Character
Reviews
“New Book Offers a Human-Centered Evaluation of America’s Founding Values and Civic Identity”
“We the People and Our Freedom Charters” by John K. Pitkethly, MA, LMHC Explores the History, Psychology, and Philosophy Behind the American Republic”
In an era of political polarization and cultural confusion, We the People and Our Freedom Charters by John K. Pitkethly, MA, LMHC, offers a timely and deeply reflective look at the foundations of the American republic—not merely as stories and documents in a museum, but as living ideas that shape the identity of a nation.
Spanning 315 pages, the book dives into the historical, philosophical, sociological, and psychological forces that gave birth to the American constitutional republic. Pitkethly draws on decades of study in sociology, mental health counseling, and history to provide what he calls a “human-centered evaluation” of America’s origin story. He analyzes the country as one might a person—its family tree, family of origin, conception, birth, infancy, personality, character development, and current identity crisis.
The book introduces the concept of “Our Freedom Charters,” which includes the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and all subsequent amendments—not just as static texts, but as the product of the collective ideas from the history of human civilization and the actions that formed a new nation. While the “Charters of Freedom” sit in the National Archives, Pitkethly’s Our Freedom Charters reclaims their broader meaning, inviting readers to re-engage with the values, context, and intentions behind these American ideals.
“I didn’t set out to write a book,” says Pitkethly. “It was originally a letter to my children, but what emerged was an unofficial psychoanalysis of the American republic—a reflection of how our collective understanding of freedom, rights, and civic responsibility has evolved and fractured.”
Pitkethly, a licensed mental health counselor with a master’s in Counselor Education from the University of Central Florida, blends his passion for understanding human psychology and history to produce a unique, accessible guide for readers who feel disconnected from the American story. His motivation stemmed from witnessing societal unrest and public misinformation, especially in 2017, prompting him to offer clarity, context, and hope for constructive dialogue.
Key Messages from the Book:
- Freedom depends on an informed citizenry.
- The American people are increasingly disconnected from their founding principles.
- Constructive disagreement is possible—and necessary—for a free society.
- Despite current challenges, Americans enjoy unprecedented lifestyles with opportunities that should be recognized and appreciated.
Whether you’re a concerned citizen, educator, student, or someone simply seeking truth beyond politics, We the People and Our Freedom Charters serve as both a call to remember and a guide to rediscover the essence of American life.
About the Author:
John K. Pitkethly, MA, LMHC, is a licensed mental health counselor and sole proprietor of a counseling practice in north central Florida. With academic roots in sociology and mental health counseling, he brings a multidisciplinary perspective to American history and its psychological underpinnings. This is his first published book, born of decades of study and a desire to reconnect readers with America’s philosophical heritage.”
–Atticus Publishing