El Zape is a small town in the hills of the municipality of Guanaceví, in the state of Durango, in northern México.

In the late 1500s the Spanish discovered silver in Guanaceví, prompting a rush to settle the region.

The neighboring residents of Guanaceví donated seeds, tools, and animals to El Zape.

During this time the Jesuits increased their efforts to evangelize the children of El Zape.

During that rebellion, El Zape was the site of a massacre that left 19 Spaniards and 60 African slaves dead.