But the experiences of Portuguese explorers contrasted starkly with those of their Spanish contemporaries. While the Mexica and Inca Empires collapsed, West African polities remained resolute. The Portuguese only ever made minor inroads in the region. They never found the mines where Musa’s gold was dug up, nor did they control territory beyond a few isolated feitorias on the coast. Infectious diseases are responsible for the very different outcomes. The colonization of the Americas was only possible because Old World pathogens came to the conquistadors’ aid. The Portuguese had no such luck.
