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With the bang of a gavel, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi marked an historic moment and a major gamble for her own party.

A few months ago, one third of Democrats wouldn't back an impeachment inquiry. Yesterday, all but two did.

Speaker Pelosi has been on her own journey - initially wary, then finally persuaded to push forward when the reluctant moderates in her party declared there was sufficient cause to justify a probe. Some of those moderates face tough election battles, but today, the Democrats insisted it was duty not desire that led them to this moment.

It is certainly an historic one. Donald Trump becomes only the fourth president to face an impeachment investigation. But Democrats have done little to convince the other side of the aisle. Republicans have consistently criticised the process - railing against closed door hearings, characterising the inquiry as driven by partisanship and a desperation to usurp a president who beat them in 2016.

When I asked Speaker Pelosi if she thought the vote would do anything to allay or quiet their claims about how unfair and illegitimate it all is, she insisted they were focused on evidence alone and had in fact provided Republicans with an opportunity.

"The facts are what they are," she said.

"They can try and misrepresent them but the fact is that this is a process that has expanded an opportunity for them to show anything that is exculpatory that proves the president's innocence."

The resolution is about rules, laying the ground for for public hearings and raising the possibility we might see evidence on TV very soon. It was the first public test of the Democrats' push and in the House they lead, they won. But there were two dissenters and the Republicans had none.

Watching congressman storm into closed door meetings in a secure area over the past week showed just how bitter it has all become. Devin Nunes, the most senior Republican on the house intelligence committee, has accused Democrats of coaching witnesses. After the vote, he told me there has been no evidence against Mr Trump. The reality is, some of the testimony has linked Mr Trump to a quid pro quo with Ukraine. And there are more witnesses to come - more potential avenues to pursue.

The tension for Democrats is how quickly to move. They may want to capitalise on some momentum. Go too fast and they risk looking like they're rushing or missing key evidence. Some think they could file articles of impeachment before Christmas. But Congress can be sluggish and the White House will likely have many objections. The dynamic going forward will certainly be different. Soon, the public will be watching.

Donald Trump's team wasted no time in releasing an attack-ad contrasting the "do nothing Democrats" with a president who has "obliterated IS". That stuff can stick with voters. And while Democrats may have the ability to impeach him, the Senate has never voted to remove a president.