In 1897, Theodore Roosevelt and President McKinley discussed taking over the Pacific colony in the event of war with Spain. When Congress declared war on Spain, 5,000 American troops were sent to the Philippines. After the war, McKinley refused to sign the armistice unless Spain ceded all the Pacific islands to the United States. Once Spain agreed, he developed plans for colonial administration. He advocated for educating Filipinos and converting them to Christianity. At first, the Filipinos welcomed the American troops, but eventually turned against their former alliance and attacked their base. American soldiers called them gugus and repeatedly insulted and physically abused them. They beat civilians, raped women and tortured them. They treated them so badly because they were from a darker skin group than