HERstory! Hillary Clinton Accepts Democratic Presidential Nomination

Hillary Clinton is officially the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.

The former Secretary of State accepted her party's nomination in an address at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Thursday evening.

After being introduced by daughter Chelsea, Clinton, 68, held back tears and couldn't stop grinning as she took the stage to overwhelming applause.

"We are clear-eyed about what our country is up against. But we are not afraid. We will rise to the challenge, just as we always have," she said, during a speech that was regularly interrupted with chants of "Hillary!"



She continued: "Don't let anyone tell you our country is weak – we're not. Don't let anyone tell you we don't have what it takes – we do. And, most of all, don't believe anyone who says, 'I alone can fix it.' "

After quoting her Republican opponent Donald Trump, Clinton warned: "That should set off alarm bells."

She further skewered Trump throughout the speech, at one point criticizing Trump's habit of outsourcing the work at his many business endeavors to other countries, mocking his campaign slogan in the process.

"Donald Trump says he wants to 'Make America great again,' " she said. "Well, he could start by actually making things in America again!"

Later, she noted: "A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man you can trust with nuclear weapons."

"My primary mission as president will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages right here in the United States, from my first day in office to my last, especially in places that for too long have been left out and left behind," Clinton said.

As she went on to accept the official nomination for president "with humility, determination and boundless confidence in America's promise," husband Bill and daughter Chelsea led a standing ovation.

Clinton also called for unity among Americans.

"When any barrier falls in America, it clears the way for everyone," she said. "When there are no ceilings, the sky is the limit."

Clinton added: "Every generation of Americans has come together to make our country freer, fairer and stronger. None of us can do it alone. That's why we are stronger together."

I'm Not Here to Take Away Your Guns

Clinton reiterated her major platform points in the address, promising her proposed "common sense" gun laws would not erase Americans' right to bear arms.

"I'm not here to repeal the 2nd Amendment. I'm not here to take away your guns. I just don't want you to be shot by someone who shouldn't have a gun in the first place," she said.

Clinton concluded the speech with a call to action and compassion.

"You have to stand up to bullies. You have to keep working to make things better," she said.

"We begin a new chapter tonight ... America's destiny is ours to choose. Let's be stronger together, my fellow Americans."

The history – or #HERstory – of the night was palpable on the convention floor, where the crowd was packed elbow-to-elbow, and many delegates had their young children in the audience, long past bedtimes. In the Nebraska delegation, one gray-haired man gave his seat to two young girls who stood shakily on it together, dancing to Katy Perry and belting out along with the singer: " Hear me roar!"

Clinton made history earlier this week when the roll-call vote at the convention confirmed her status as the first female major party presidential nominee.

Hillary Clinton on Donald Trump: 'We Were Not Friends'

Countless celebrities, political heavyweights and family members took the stage this week at the Wells Fargo Center in support of Clinton's presidential bid, including Meryl Streep, Katy Perry, former President Bill Clinton and current President Barack Obama.

"There has never been a man or a woman – not me, not Bill, nobody – more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as President of the United States of America," Obama said in his address Wednesday night.

"I hope you don't mind, Bill, but I'm just telling the truth," he added.

• With reporting by SANDRA SOBIERAJ WESTFALL