Eight years ago, Barack Obama signalled a new era of hope and change with a presidential acceptance speech that was widely-praised and went down in the history books.
Obama: “This is our moment. This is our time. To put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids, to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace.
“To reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that out of many we are one.
“That while we breathe we hope and where we are met by cynicism and doubt and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people, yes we can.”
Last night, Donald Trump toned down his rhetoric and used his speech to call for the nation to unite as he promised to be a leader for all Americans.
Trump: “I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be President for all of Americans, and this is so important to me.
“For those who have chosen not to support me in the past, of which there were a few people, I’m reaching out to you for your guidance and your help so that we can work together and unify our great country.”
The differences between Trump and Obama’s speeches did not go unnoticed:
One of the striking ways in which the acceptance speeches were so different is the reaction of the crowds.
A person in the crowd on Tuesday night yelled out “hang Obama” during Trump’s speech.
The contest between Trump and Clinton was one of the most bitterly-fought campaigns for the White House America has ever seen.
On Wednesday, Clinton told Trump she hopes he is a “successful” president - but issued a clear warning to the Republican that she expects him to respect the rule of law and the equal rights of Americans.
In an emotional speech to campaign staff in New York on Wednesday morning, Clinton said her defeat was “painful” but urged Democrats to never stop “fighting” for what they believed in.