Taking the stage to a thunderous standing ovation at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Harris sought to introduce herself to the American public and outline her vision for leading the nation for the next four years.

“Our nation with this election has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism, and divisive battles of the past,” Harris said. “A chance to chart a new way forward. Not as members of any one party or faction, but as Americans.”

Harris’ address in Chicago caps a whirlwind eight weeks in US politics and manifests the stunning reversal of Democratic fortunes just 75 days until Election Day.

Party leaders who had publicly despaired over President Joe Biden’s candidacy after his disastrous debate against Trump, were jubilant both at the historic nature of Harris’ candidacy and their buoyed hopes for this November.

The daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, Harris became the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent to accept a major party’s presidential nomination. If elected, she would become the first female US president.

“America, the path that led me here in recent weeks was no doubt unexpected. But I’m no stranger to unlikely journeys,” she said.

Harris talked about being raised primarily by her mother after her parents divorced in a small apartment in San Francisco’s East Bay, and being raised as well by friends and caregivers who were “family by love.”

Outlining her career as a prosecutor, state attorney general, senator and now vice president, Harris said, “My entire career I’ve only had one client: the people.” Meanwhile, she said Trump has only ever acted in the interests of “the only client he has ever had: himself.”

As she took the stage, she saw a sea of female delegates and Democratic supporters wearing white — the colour of women’s suffrage — the movement that culminated with American women securing the right to vote in 1920.

Harris made a direct appeal to anti-Trump Republicans to put aside party labels and to support her over Trump, who denied his loss to Biden in the 2020 election, which inspired the January 6 2021 Capitol insurrection.

“I know there are people of various political views watching tonight, and I want you to know I promise to be a president for all Americans,” Harris said. “I promise to be a president for all Americans to hold sacred America’s constitutional principles, fundamental principles, from the rule of law and fair elections to the peaceful transfer of power.”

The prosecutor in Harris surfaced during the speech when, in referring to Donald Trump, she referred several times to “his explicit intent” to free those who assaulted law enforcement officers at the Capitol, jail political opponents, and use the military against American citizens.

“Consider what he intends to do if we give him power again,” she added.

Among others who spoke before Harris on Thursday were Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Gabby Giffords, the Arizona Democrat who was nearly killed in a mass shooting in 2011, and civil rights leader Al Sharpton.

Sharpton also introduced the now-exonerated members of the Central Park Five — the Black teenagers who were wrongly convicted of rape in New York City in 1989. Trump took out full-page newspaper ads at the time calling for the five to receive the death penalty — and still sidesteps calls to apologise.

The convention granted a prime speaking slot to former Republican critic of Trump’s Adam Kinzinger who said: “Whatever policies we disagree on pale in comparison with those fundamental matters of principle. Of decency. Of fidelity to this nation. To my fellow Republicans: If you still pledge allegiance to those principles, I suspect you belong here, too.”

Despite speculation about a potential surprise appearance by the music superstar Beyoncé at the convention ahead of Harris’ speech, a source said she would not be in attendance.