This study demonstrates that the anomalous scarcity of Spanish-based creoles doesn't result from sociological factors but from factors illuminated by progress in creole theory and from at least three accidents of history. First, the conquering Spanish concentrated for a century on crops demanding smaller plantations, so that slaves got a fuller acquisition of Spanish. Second, as Spanish often took over formerly Portuguese areas, there was already a Portuguese-based creole. And third, the Spanish didn't possess West African trade settlements, from where an emerging pidgin could be easily transported to the New World.