The Tlaxcaltecs were originally a conglomeration of three distinct ethnic groups who spoke Nahuatl, Otomi and Pinome that comprised the four city-states (altepetl) of Tlaxcallān or Tlaxcala.

This privileged treatment ensured Tlaxcallan allegiance to Spain over the centuries, even during the Mexican War of Independence, though Tlaxcala did host a strong pro-independence faction.

[7] Tlaxcallan colonists also founded a number of settlements in Northern Mexico (including parts of present-day southeastern Texas), where conquest of local tribes by the Spaniards had proved unsuccessful.

[8] They settled areas inhabited by nomadic bellicose tribes (known as the Chichimeca) to pacify the local indigenous groups hostile to the Spanish Crown.

[9] The Tlaxcaltec colonies in the Chichimeca included settlements in the modern states of Coahuila, Durango, Jalisco, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí and Zacatecas.

[13] King Charles was careful to recognize Tlaxcala as an allied city and not a conquered one, which satisfied the Tlaxcallan leadership and ensured their loyalty for three centuries.

He also possessed an indigenous Nahuatl surname, uncommon in post-colonial Mexico but prevalent in Tlaxcala due to their previous alliance with Spain, which protected them from imposed Spanish baptismal names.