Election nights take place in an atmosphere of exhaustion and relief as the cycles of our presidential campaigns have become longer and longer. Ask people how they feel on the eve of the election and you'll probably hear, “I just want it to be over.” We don't know if a winner will be announced on November 5th or later. But at some point there will be a winner, and whenever Donald J. Trump or Kamala Harris step onto the podium, their words will set the tone for the days and years to come.

What do the American people want to hear – no matter who is standing there? As a passionate student of our great nation's remarkable history, I can say they want to hear a message of unity, not division.

Our forty-first President, George Herbert Walker Bush, was not known for his outstanding speeches. But on the night of November 8, 1988, after winning the presidency, he struck an eloquent tone as he moved from campaigning to governing. “An election campaign,” he said, “is a disagreement, and disagreements divide, but an election is a decision, and decisions pave the way for harmony and peace.”

Vice President George HW Bush waves to a crowd of supporters on November 5, 1988. Bush and his vice president, Dan Quayle, defeated Michael Dukakis in the November 8 presidential election.

It struck me that the ability to distinguish between the divisive nature of a campaign and the pragmatic unification demanded by government was a perfect description of the democratic process first undertaken by the Founding Fathers. Bush said he knew people felt hurt by the fighting, but he hoped they could continue to work together for the good of the nation.

Calls for unity were a common thread in election night speeches, no matter how contentious our campaigns.

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On November 5, 1952, Dwight Eisenhower learned that he had won the election and made his way to the ballroom where his supporters had gathered. He had just responded to a gracious telegram of concessions from his opponent, Adlai Stevenson. When he arrived in the ballroom, Eisenhower read his response to his supporters. “Thank you for your polite and generous message. Given the intensity of the difficulties that lie before us, it is clearly necessary that men and women of good will of both parties forget the political conflict we have been through and dedicate themselves to a single goal of a better future. I believe they will do it. Eisenhower then warned the crowd that the only way to succeed in the presidency was to be a united people. “Let us work together to build a better future for America, for our children and for our grandchildren.”

Three Days in January: Dwight Eisenhower's Final Mission was published in 2017.

Not every elected president turns to the other side with the joy of victory, but most do. Perhaps the most dramatic case was the re-election of Abraham Lincoln in 1864 while the nation was at war. The war showed no signs of abating and the future was uncertain. Unity seemed impossible.

In his address to a crowd, Lincoln noted that the question, longstanding but now even more pressing, was whether the nation could be strong enough to sustain its existence in the worst emergency. He noted that the election “proved that a popular government can sustain a national election in the midst of a major civil war. Until now, the world was not aware that this was a possibility. It also shows how sensible and strong we still are. Lincoln urged his followers to show goodwill to their opponents and spoke of his hope that a united nation could endure. The war ended the following year.

Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth President of the United States, was president during the American Civil War from 1861–1865.

After the war, unity was not easy and the years following Lincoln's assassination were turbulent. In 1868, Republicans turned to General Ulysses S. Grant, the war hero, believing he was the one who could bring the nation together. Grant was a hesitant candidate, but he was clear about his mission. His written acceptance of his nomination included the phrase that would become his motto as president: “Let us have peace.”

To Save the Republic: Ulysses S. Grant, the Fragile Union, and the Crisis of 1876

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There were other controversial eras. When Richard Nixon stood before his supporters to announce his victory over Vice President Hubert Humphrey late on the evening of November 6, 1968, the war in Vietnam was at its height and crowds of anti-war demonstrators filled the streets. The election had been bitter and many people believed that the foundations of democracy were in danger.

Once again there were doubts that unity was possible. But that night, Nixon told a story about unity. Along the way, he said, he saw a lot of campaign signs. “Some of them were not friendly, some of them were very friendly. But the one that struck me the most was one I saw in Deshler, Ohio, a small town, at the end of a long day of whistle-stopping. Probably.” Five times the population was there at dusk, barely visible – but a teenager held up a sign: “Bring us together.” And that will be the great goal of this administration from the start, to bring the American people together. This will be an open government, open to new ideas, open to men and women of both parties, open to critics and critics who support us.”

Conciliatory gestures from the winners are important, but so are offers of support from the losers. In defeat, many presidential candidates stand at the podium, crushed by defeat but upheld by the principles of democracy. Some can still inspire us.

“The nation has spoken,” Alf Landon wrote to Franklin Roosevelt on November 4, 1936. “Every American will accept the verdict and work for the common cause for the good of our country. That is the spirit of democracy.”

In 1948, Thomas Dewey, perhaps shocked by his defeat since the media had declared him the winner at some point during the vote count, generously acknowledged Harry Truman: “My warmest congratulations on your election and all the best wishes to you. “ I call on all Americans to unite behind you and support all efforts to keep our nation strong and free and to create peace in the world.

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And Walter Mondale, after a humiliating landslide defeat by Ronald Reagan in 1984, spoke truly inspiring words about who we are as a nation – encapsulating the essence of America: “Tonight the American people again, in town halls, in homes, in flames .” Houses and libraries elected the holder of the most powerful office in the world. Your choice was made peacefully, with dignity and with majesty, and although I would have preferred to win, tonight we rejoice in our democracy, we rejoice in the freedom of a wonderful human being, and we accept your verdict. I thank the people of America for hearing my case.

In his 1984 election night speech, Reagan spoke of the higher calling that citizens and candidates alike shared. “Here in America, the people are in charge,” he said. “And that’s really why we’re here tonight. This election victory belongs to you and the principles you hold fast to – principles forged by the brilliance and bravery of patriots more than 200 years ago. They have charted the course of freedom and hope that will make our country special in the world.”

Presidents Reagan, Ford, Carter and Nixon (HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

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Remembering who we are and who we will become has special meaning on the eve of the 2024 elections. On July 4, 2026, about halfway through the next presidential term, we will celebrate America's 250th anniversary, the date the nation's founding document, the Declaration of Independence, was signed.

It was the beginning of the United States of America. Unity is in our name.

Bret Baier is a New York Times bestselling author of five presidential biographies. Click here to visit Bret Baier Books.