Topia

Topia lies in a mountain valley of the Sierra Madre Occidental, in a region of steep ravines and mineral deposits. The surrounding country was inhabited by the Acaxee, whose settlements were scattered through the rugged hills. Spanish miners and missionaries entered the area in the sixteenth century, establishing the mining centre of Veracruz de Topia. In December 1601 Acaxee communities rose against Spanish authority, killing a captain and his companions. Fighting spread through the mountain country before colonial forces suppressed the revolt. A document issued at the mines of Topia at the end of 1603 recorded the campaign and the Spanish effort to restore control.