Colonization Campaigns
Many of the military expeditions in which Tlaxcaltecs accompanied the Spanish ended with the founding of new settlements, such as Santa María Villa Alta in Oaxaca and Almolonga in Guatemala, as well as towns in Jalisco and Colima. In these places, the Tlaxcaltec warriors were recognized as founders and brought their families with them. The "Lienzo de Tlaxcala" includes scenes of these military campaigns.

Settlements in the Gran Chichimeca
The discovery and exploitation of rich silver deposits in Zacatecas and Guanajuato prompted New Spanish authorities to develop a plan to protect the mines, trade routes, and caravans carrying the metal to the capital from Chichimeca attacks. In late 1590, Viceroy Luis de Velasco the Younger negotiated with the lords of the Tlaxcaltec council to send four hundred families to establish new settlements. An agreement was finally reached on March 14, 1591, with the Tlaxcaltec leaders securing a number of favorable conditions for those who undertook the journey.