With the historic nomination of Hillary Clinton and the cooling embers of the Bernie Sanders' revolution, Democrats gathered in Philadelphia hoped they had turned a corner on Tuesday. The momentous day was capped by a rousing speech by Bill Clinton that attempted to humanise a woman who's been defined and redefined over two-and-a-half decades in the national spotlight.The former president said Republicans are running against "a cartoon" version of Hillary Clinton, but "earlier today [Tuesday] you nominated the real one".His address attempted to counter his wife's main political vulnerabilities, from being seen as untrustworthy to a perception that she's too close to the established political system to change it."This woman has never been satisfied with the status quo on anything. She has always wanted to move the ball forward," Bill Clinton said. "She's a change-maker."RHAPSODY IN BLUE: Alicia Keys performs at the Democratic National Convention Picture: PAUL MORIGI/WIREIMAGEBill Clinton began with a happy-go-lucky story of their meeting and ended with a testimonial to her toughness and determination. His speech glossed over the well-documented troubles in their marriage and the controversies that have dogged them since Bill Clinton first ran for president in 1992.The Clintons and party leaders were eager to change the storyline of the convention, which began with toppling Democratic national committee chairman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and rowdy crowds of Sanders' supporters who waved placards, chanted his name, jeered Clinton allies, booed her name and vented about a system they see as rigged.Hillary Clinton was expected to get additional reinforcement last night when President Barack Obama spoke at the convention.In an interview aired yesterday on NBC, Obama said he hoped the headline from his speech would be: "The US president is profoundly optimistic about America's future and is 100% convinced Hillary Clinton can be a great president."Bill Clinton delivered his address a few hours after Democrats made history by becoming the first major US party to nominate a woman for president.HIGH HOPES: An estimated 50000 people attended the convention Picture: ALEX WONG/GETTY IMAGESThe anger of Sanders supporters showed signs of subsiding after their candidate gave his stamp of approval to Hillary Clinton's nomination, though dozens of them staged a protest at the convention site and demonstrations outside the security area caused buses for delegates to be diverted as they headed for hotels closer to downtown Philadelphia."I move that all votes, all votes cast by delegates be reflected in the official record," Sanders said. "And I move that Hillary Clinton be selected as the nominee of the Democratic Party for president of the US," he said.With that, a year-long battle that has divided the party was over.SHOWING HER COLOURS: Actress Meryl Streep addresses the convention Picture: SAUL LOEB/AFP"I am relieved," Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri said. "I thought when Bernie did that it was a great moment for our party."That relief was echoed by many of the more experienced delegates in the hall who have their eyes on defeating Republican Donald Trump in the November election.To wrap up the night, Hillary Clinton, 68, spoke by video message to thank the convention for its nomination."I can't believe we just put the biggest crack in that glass ceiling yet," she said, a reference that hearkened back to her 2008 convention speech. "I may become the first woman president but one of you is next." ..