With election anxieties high, a lesson in accepting defeat offers hope for future of democracy

On the eve of Election Day, tensions are high and voters are feeling anxious — that's been a theme throughout this entire election season.

"There's a lot of drama everywhere. People have lost contact with humanity," said voter Connie Wilson.

The U.S. was also an anxious country when George Washington took the first oath of office at Federal Hall in Lower Manhattan. The fledgling nation was riddled with debt, the Constitution was weak and the judicial system was in its infancy.