In 2007, Historian Daniel Walker Howe published What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1843. The book, part of the Oxford History of the United States series, describes a particularly dramatic time in the country just a few years before the Civil War.

The title is appropriate for today. To say I am disappointed and disheartened would be an understatement. But I hope all who voted for Ms. Harris will do what we expected others to do in 2020, accept the results and move forward.

I extend my congratulations and best wishes for the new administration.

This is the way elections go. Someone’s candidate loses. Ms. Harris fell short of the goal.

But it is essential to keep in mind that losing the election does not mean everything you stood for and supported is no longer valid. Nor does it mean that everything the winning side based its campaign on is validated.

The country was split in its support for the candidates, and we should expect the winning side to consider that.

Mr. Trump made many promises in the campaign. The reality of the office, our government’s bicameral machinations, and geopolitical dynamics will render many, but not all, impossible.

Let’s hope Mr. Trump turns out to be of a better character than many of us believe him to be.

Congratulations, Mr. Trump. In the next few months, pay attention. You will see what a peaceful transfer of power is supposed to look like.

What hath God wrought? We’ll have the next few years to witness it for ourselves.