At a rally held in Brooklyn today, Hillary Clinton made history by clinching the Democratic presidential nomination, making her the first woman to win a major American party’s candidacy.

“It may be hard to see tonight,” Clinton began. “But we are all standing under a glass ceiling right now. But don’t worry, we’re not smashing this one. Thanks to you, we’ve reached a milestone. For the first time in history, a woman will be a major party’s nominee.”

She then went on to evoke the historic Seneca Falls suffragette convention of 1848, likening the evening’s historic moment to a time “when a small but determined group of women and men came together with the idea that women deserved equal rights [for the first time in history],” before dedicating hervictory to her legion supporters. 

But it wasn’t all bountiful optimism. Clinton was quick to address the “extraordinary campaign” of Senator Bernie Sanders, saying that their “vigorous debate” has “been very good for the Democratic party and for America”, before launching into a scathing attack on GOP rival Donald Trump’s myopic, sexist and racist policies and smear tactics.

“We believe unity is better than conflict. Unity is better than division. Empowerment is better than resentment, and bridges are better than walls… The choice is clear: Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit to be president and Commander in Chief.”

“To be great, we can’t be small, we have to be as big as the values that define America,” Clinton continued to tell her hundreds of assembled supporters, many of whom were seen holding signs cautioning against the presence of broken glass that had fallen from the ceiling.

After Clinton continued to preach “indivisible” equality for all Americans across the economy, employment and education sectors for “all families in all regions of our nation,” she then turned to invoke her mother, who “believed that life is about serving others. She told me never to back down from a bully, which as it turns out was pretty good advice” – a remark she made to rousing applause, especially from her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

“This past Saturday would’ve been her 97th birthday,” observed Clinton, “Because she was born on June 4th, 1919. On the very day my mother was born in Chicago, congress was passing the 19th amendment to the Constitution. That amendment finally gave women the right to vote and I really wish my mother could be here tonight to… see her daughter become the Democratic party’s nominee for president of the United States,” at which point the crowd erupted into deafening applause.

“So yes,” she continued, “There are still ceilings to break for women, for men, for all of us, so don’t let anyone tell you that great things can’t happen in America. Barriers can come down. Justice and equality can win.”

Watch Clinton’s speech in full (from 10:00) below.

Tile and cover image: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images