The original United States Constitution contains seven articles.
The articles establish the structure and powers of the federal government. Article I creates Congress, Article II establishes the presidency, and Article III establishes the federal judiciary. The remaining articles address relations among states, the constitutional amendment process, federal supremacy, and ratification.
The document also has a preamble and a closing endorsement, but neither is counted as an article. The Constitution was drafted and signed in 1787 after delegates concluded that revising the Articles of Confederation would not adequately solve the new nation’s political and financial problems.
The seven-article structure is separate from the amendments added later. The first ten amendments, ratified in 1791, are known collectively as the Bill of Rights. Later amendments changed or expanded constitutional rules without altering the number of original articles.