The waterfall also relates to one of the most noteworthy events in the history of Jamaica.  

In the 18th century, there was a King from the Gold Coast (modern day Ghana) named Takyi (pronounced, and often spelled “Tacky”). During a military conflict, his State was defeated and as a prisoner of war, his captors sold him to European human traffickers/slave traders. This was a fate that befell many who were on the losing side of wars in African countries from the 16th to 19th centuries; though the treatment of enslaved people was more humane in Africa, than in the Americas. Takyi was eventually shipped to the Parish (Province) of Saint Mary, in Jamaica.

After years of brutal treatment on the plantations, he devised a plan to rise up against his oppressors. He, along with 3 allies, regularly sought temporary refuge in a cave in order to perfect and finalize their plan. The ultimate goal was to expel all slave owners, and make Jamaica an all-Black, independent country. April 7, 1760, the uprising began. Takyi, his 3 allies, and hundreds of followers quickly slew multiple plantation owners and employees. The victors proceeded to arm themselves with weapons and supplies from local gun stores. The immediate success boosted confidence among the freedom fighters and led to further victories. However, a traitor was able to notify the British officials of the revolt days after it began. Despite this set back, the effort lasted until July 1760, when the British army and navy along with the Maroons (a group of free people who were formerly enslaved by Spaniards) was able to kill Takyi and quell the revolution. Though the struggle ended in defeat, it sparked severe civil unrest as well as further revolts in the Caribbean, which pressured Britain to eventually abolish their slave trade on March 25,1807.  Some historians rank “Tacky’s War” as the 2nd most impactful revolt in the British colonies in the 18th century, behind the American Revolution.