As nature changed during the Little Ice Age, so did the societies depending on it. Trial and error created successful adaptations as societies learned to cope with colder climates, leading to societies that resemble our own: urbanised, relying on international markets, and increasingly on science and professionals. This is the rise of the middle class, of the Enlightenment, of liberalism, and of imperialism. It also raises the question: can our response to the climate crisis learn from what happened 400 years ago?