For centuries, Mexico has led the world in silver production. In 1546, during Mexico’s colonial period, silver was first discovered in Zacatecas, but many more mines would be opened up in the next two centuries. According to Michael M. Swann, “Migrants in the Mexican North,” the “silver centers attracted large, mixed populations from great distances.

The Mexican state of Querétaro de Arteaga ‒ located near the center of the Mexican Republic ‒ is bordered on the west and northwest by Guanajuato, on the northwest by San Luis Potosí, on the east by Hidalgo, on the southeast by the State of México and on the southwest by Michoacán de Ocampo. Querétaro is one of the smallest Mexican states, containing only 11,699 square kilometers (4,518 square miles), occupying only 0.6% of the national territory and ranked 27th out of 32 states and the Distrito Federal. Politically, the state is divided into 18 municipios.