The seven articles of the U.S. Constitution
7 articles. Articles I to IV are divided into sections (10, 4, 3 and 4); Articles V to VII are short and have none. The 27 amendments came later and have their own list.
The Constitution has only seven articles, and each has one job. Once you know which article does what, the whole document has a map: the three branches first, then the states, then how to change it, how it stands above other laws, and how it came into force.
Seven things fit in a short list, so learn all seven as one chunk. A first-letter sentence helps hold the order: Lively Eagles Jump Over Steep Stony Ridges, for Legislative, Executive, Judicial, the States, Amendments (changing it), Supreme law, Ratification. Then build pictures on a memory palace route: a busy hall of lawmakers at the front door, a desk with a presidential seal in the hall, a judge's gavel on the stairs, fifty state flags in the kitchen, a pencil and eraser in the dining room, a crown on the top shelf, and nine signatures on the back door. Recall it by walking the route, and come back on day 1, 3, 7 and 21.
Encode make it vivid → Space bring it back on day 1, 3, 7, 21 → Retrieve pull it from your head. From the infographic Remember It on Purpose.
The seven articles of the U.S. Constitution
| Article | Subject | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| I | The Legislative Branch | Congress: the House and the Senate, who may serve, how members are chosen, the powers of Congress and how a bill becomes a law. |
| II | The Executive Branch | The President and Vice President: the term of office, election by the Electoral College, who may serve, the President's powers and duties, and removal by impeachment. |
| III | The Judicial Branch | The Supreme Court and the lower federal courts, the kinds of cases they hear, trial by jury, and the definition of treason. |
| IV | The States | How the states treat each other: respecting each other's laws and court records, the rights of citizens who travel, returning people who flee justice, admitting new states, and the promise of a republican form of government. |
| V | Amendments | How to change the Constitution: two ways to propose an amendment and two ways to ratify one. |
| VI | Supreme Law | The Constitution and federal laws and treaties are the supreme law of the land; debts from before the Constitution stay valid; officials take an oath to support the Constitution; no religious test for public office. |
| VII | Ratification | The Constitution would take effect once nine of the thirteen states ratified it. |
Seven things fit in a short list, so learn all seven as one chunk. A first-letter sentence helps hold the order: Lively Eagles Jump Over Steep Stony Ridges, for Legislative, Executive, Judicial, the States, Amendments (changing it), Supreme law, Ratification. Then build pictures on a memory palace route: a busy hall of lawmakers at the front door, a desk with a presidential seal in the hall, a judge's gavel on the stairs, fifty state flags in the kitchen, a pencil and eraser in the dining room, a crown on the top shelf, and nine signatures on the back door. Recall it by walking the route, and come back on day 1, 3, 7 and 21. · teddyrookbook.com/memory/challenges/constitution-articles/
Sources
- National Archives: The Constitution of the United States, a transcription
- Constitution Annotated (Library of Congress): literal print of the Constitution
- Teddy Rook Book civics kit: the Constitution navigator
Checked October 31, 2026. Progress is kept on this device only (per learner). More lists: all memory challenges · memory games.