Barack Obama made history as the Democratic party officially nominated him to be their candidate in the November presidential election, making him the first black American to lead a major political party ticket.

Obama, 47, won the historic nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado on Wednesday by acclamation after his tenacious former rival Hillary Clinton released her delegates before the roll call to announce that she was voting for Obama and his running mate, Joseph Biden.

“With eyes firmly fixed on the future, and in the spirit of unity with the goal of victory, with faith in our party and our country, let's declare together with one voice right here, right now that Barack Obama is our candidate and he will be our president,” she said asking the roll call to be cut short when time came for the New York delegation to vote.

"Is there a second?" House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked the crowd of more than 4,400 delegates. She pounded a gavel to declare the motion adopted when they affirmed with cheers Obama, the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas, as their choice to take on Republican John McCain in November.

The delegates held hands together up high, danced and swayed back and forth to the song "Love Train" in celebration of the moment as Pelosi announced a little later that Obama had accepted the nomination and would tell them so himself in his acceptance speech on Thursday night.

"Yes we can," the crowd chanted. "Obama!"

Later former President Bill Clinton too endorsed Obama's candidature saying he was "ready to be president", after months of attacks from Hillary Clinton supporters on the Democratic nominee's lack of experience.

"Last night Hillary told us in no uncertain terms that she is going to do everything in her power to elect Barack Obama," said Clinton.

"That makes two of us-actually that makes 18 million of us," he said, referring to the number of Democratic primary voters who backed Hillary Clinton.

In honour of Clinton's historic primary battle as a female candidate that caused 18 million cracks in the highest glass ceiling as she called it, the former first lady's name had been put on the ballot along with Obama in a symbolic gesture.

As Obama arrived in Denver, Clinton released her delegates on Wednesday afternoon, allowing those who had been pledged to her to vote for whomever they choose in a roll call vote later in the day.

“This was such a competitive primary season,” Clinton told her delegates in a packed ballroom at the Denver Convention Centre,

"I want you to know this has been a joy. Boy did we have a good time trying," the former first lady added.

Clinton has strongly urged her backers to support Obama, but some appear to be backing Republican John McCain in growing numbers. A CNN poll taken at the end of June indicated that 16 percent of Clinton's supporters intended to vote for McCain.

A new CNN poll, conducted on Saturday and Sunday, showed that 27 percent of her voters now said they supported the Republican candidate.

It also found that 60 per cent of voters said they believe McCain would better handle the issue of terrorism, whereas 36 per cent have more faith in Obama. A majority also said it believes McCain is more likely than Obama to be a strong and decisive leader.

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