The original United States Constitution contained seven articles when it was signed in 1787.
The articles created the national government’s basic structure. Article I established Congress, Article II established the presidency, and Article III established the federal judiciary. Later articles addressed relations among states, the amendment process, federal supremacy, and ratification.
The Constitution was signed in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787, by delegates to the Constitutional Convention. It replaced the Articles of Confederation, which had created a weaker national government after independence.
The document still has seven numbered articles, although it has been changed by amendments. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were added in 1791. They supplement the original framework rather than becoming additional numbered articles.