The Good Old Days - They Were Terrible! is archivist and historian's Otto Bettman lively romp through late 19th century America. Bettman intends to prove that this period of American history was not the idyllic "good old days" they have become in the minds of contemporary Americans. Bettman concentrates on several sections of everyday life, showing that reality does not paint nearly the same picture as the nostalgic imagination does. Focusing primarily on New York City and the working poor, Bettman demonstrates the injustice, filth, exploitation, poor housing conditions, and poor education that were standard in this period.