At the time, they were right; it was as good as society had ever been.
I think they were much like us in many ways. They probably imagined that things could get better (even if they didn't imagine electricity or computers).
A top recommendation along these lines is The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garard; a member of the Scott expedition to the south pole, which goes into detail of his winter journey (which the title refers to). One of the best historical adventure books I've read