The original United States Constitution contained seven articles.
The articles organized the structure and powers of the new federal government. Article I established Congress and described the legislative branch. Article II created the presidency and executive branch, while Article III established the federal judiciary. Later articles addressed relations among states, amendment procedures, federal supremacy, ratification, and the Constitution’s authority.
The Constitution was drafted at the Philadelphia Convention in 1787, where delegates sought a stronger national government than the Articles of Confederation had provided. It was signed on September 17, 1787, and became effective in 1789 after ratification by the required states.
The seven original articles should not be confused with amendments. The first ten amendments, ratified in 1791, are the Bill of Rights. Additional amendments have changed or clarified constitutional rules, but they do not alter the fact that the founding document began with seven articles. The Constitution’s preamble appears before Article I and is therefore not counted as an eighth article.