When Joe Biden took the stage as the last speaker at the Democratic Party Convention in Chicago on Monday evening, the audience applauded for more than three minutes and repeatedly shouted “We love Joe.”

During the speech, spectators unfurled a banner reading “Stop Arming Israel,” several attendees reported, and others attempted to tear the banner down. Due to the enormous size of the arena, the disruption did not cause much of a stir.

“We are fighting for the soul of America,” Biden said, reciting a long list of his administration’s accomplishments in infrastructure, health care, climate, jobs and manufacturing. “Union Joe,” the crowd chanted as Biden spoke of his support for unions.

As many delegates left the hall, Biden announced: “I know more foreign heads of state by their first names and I know them better than anyone else alive, simply because I’m so damn old.”

“Donald Trump will learn the power of women in 2024,” Biden said.

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton, who failed to become the first female president, told Democrats that she believed America was on the verge of a breakthrough and the election of Kamala Harris.

In her speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Clinton invoked the legacy of women on the national stage, from Shirley Chisholm to Geraldine Ferraro, and said Harris would make history.

“I want my children and grandchildren to know that I was here at that moment,” she said. “We were here. We were with Kamala Harris every step of the way. Now is the breakthrough. The future is here. Let’s win it.”

Kamala Harris

Harris opened the convention with a brief appearance, sparking a sense of excitement among the delegates in attendance. The crowd at the United Center on the first night cheered at the historic prospect of electing the first female president. The sense of history continuing was reinforced later in the evening – as the program ran for a very long time – when attendees began to file out of the hall long before President Joe Biden’s speech.

“It’s going to be a great week!” Harris said during her brief appearance on Monday. She thanked Biden warmly. “We are eternally grateful.”

Harris’ performance followed a short biographical video narrated by Jeffrey Wright and accompanied by Beyonce’s song “Freedom.”

Tony Goldwyn

The vice president then turned the floor over to moderator Tony Goldwyn, the actor who played the president on ABC’s “Scandal.” Goldwyn was one of several entertainers on stage, followed by Jason Isbell, who sang “Something More Than Free,” and Mickey Guyton, who sang “Ain’t We All American?”

Goldwyn promised that the week would provide an introduction to Harris and a clear contrast between Donald Trump’s agenda and her vision for the future.

“It’s a joyful message, not a petty one,” Goldwyn said. “Public service – not self-service, optimism and opportunity, not chaos and division. It’s a message that has made us aware of who we are.”

The Democratic speakers paid tribute to Biden and Harris, but also sought to impeach Trump. Many attendees were overheard in the hallways talking about the recent Trump outrage – he falsely claimed to be endorsed by Taylor Swift.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

New York Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has become one of the party’s most youthful faces, was one of the most eagerly awaited speakers on the program and managed to fire up the crowd. Earlier, Donald Trump’s campaign team had tried to link Harris to Ocasio-Cortez’s positions on issues such as defunding the police and the Green New Deal.

When it was her turn to take the podium, Ocasio-Cortez wasted no time attacking Trump as a plutocrat. AOC demonstrated her strength as one of the most prominent young Democratic stars of recent years. Her speech was drowned out by shouts and applause several times – especially when she took aim at Trump.

“I, for one, am tired of hearing a little anti-union activist think he’s a bigger patriot than the woman who fights every day to free working people from the boots of greed that tramples on our way of life,” she said. “The truth is, Don, you can’t love this country if you only fight for the rich and big business. Loving this country means fighting for all people, for working people, for ordinary Americans.” Ocasio-Cortez also reminded the crowd of the importance of support for the House and Senate elections. “We can’t send Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to Washington alone,” she said.

Counterattack against Trump

Clinton didn’t hold back when it came to Trump either, saying he “fell asleep at his own trial” and woke up to find he had been convicted on 34 counts. In a twist of history, the crowd chanted “Lock him up!” — echoing chants at Trump rallies eight years ago calling for Clinton to be jailed.

Clinton also drew parallels between Trump’s attacks on her and those on Harris.

“He makes fun of her name and her laugh – that sounds familiar,” Clinton said. “But now he’s on the run.” Clinton may have lost the 2016 race to Trump, but she remains a rock star among die-hard Democrats.

The convention scene

Spotted in the basement of the United Center were Marisa Tomei, JJ Abrams and producer Bruce Cohen, who said they had “high hopes” for the campaign. Abrams and his wife, Katie McGrath, have donated more than $3 million to Democratic committees this election cycle. Cohen is also a generous donor.

Because speeches at the convention were delayed, James Taylor’s planned appearance before Biden’s speech was canceled.

As Democrats prepared for opening night, downtown Chicago was a hive of activity Monday with flags, bunting, vendors selling Black Blood T-shirts and everything else you’d expect from the political circus.

Delegates from across the country took time to look around the city before the big speech at the United Center that evening. A rally in support of Palestinians in Gaza drew about 15,000 people, organizers of the Coalition to March on the DNC told ABC News Chicago.

But by and large, downtown seemed quiet. Further south, near the hotels where delegates were staying, it was quiet even outside the gleaming silver Trump Tower, which juts out onto the city’s Riverwalk.

Another hub of activity was on the east side of town at the sprawling McCormick Place Center, where the DemPalooza show was being held, featuring a number of left-leaning organizations and causes. There were stages for discussions and Q&A sessions, but they were sparsely attended. The five-mile distance between McCormick Place and the United Center has obvious advantages for security and crowd control. But it also makes attendees heavily dependent on the DNC shuttles that run between hotels and the two venues. The security perimeter around the United Center is so large that rideshares and even public transportation can’t get too close.

Elections are often defined by slogans, and delegates’ lapels, polo shirts and blouses featured plenty of slogans, from “Remember Jan. 6” to “Keep Kamala and Carry On” to “Another Cat Lady for Kamala” to “Make Lying Wrong Again.”