Vice President Kamala Harris called on Americans to join her to “chart a new way forward” as she accepted the Democratic nomination on Thursday, arguing her personal story and her career as a prosecutor made her uniquely qualified to protect their interests and beat Republican candidate Donald Trump.

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 American 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 in June, were jubilant both at the historic nature of Harris' candidacy which has boosted their hopes for the November election.

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 in San Francisco's East Bay after her parents divorced, and being raised as well by friends and caregivers who were “family by love.”

She also detailed a key part of her political origin story, when Wanda, her best friend from high school, confided in her that she was being abused by her stepfather and came to live with Harris' family.

“That is one of the reasons I became a prosecutor. To protect people like Wanda,” Harris said.

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 also pledged to get a Gaza ceasefire deal completed and said as US president she would stand with Ukraine and not "cozy up" to dictators like Trump.

"Now is the time to get a hostage deal and a ceasefire deal done." (Agencies)