SS Republic (1871)

The SS Republic was an iron-hulled, propeller-driven steamship built in 1871 by William Cramp & Sons in Philadelphia for the Pacific Mail Steamship Company. She operated primarily on routes connecting New York City and ports in the Caribbean, including Havana, Cuba, and ports in Central America.

The Republic is most famous for her sinking in 1865 (not 1871, which is when the ship was built) off the coast of Georgia during the American Civil War. While technically built after the Civil War concluded, the name and circumstances are deeply intertwined with a previous ship of the same name. This earlier Republic was a wooden-hulled sidewheel steamer originally named the Tennessee. She was purchased by the US government and renamed Republic to serve as a transport vessel. On October 25, 1865, while carrying passengers and a large quantity of coins intended to revitalize the South's economy, the Republic encountered a hurricane off the coast of Savannah, Georgia, and sank.

The wreck of the Civil War-era Republic (formerly the Tennessee) was discovered in 2003 by Odyssey Marine Exploration. The recovery of thousands of gold and silver coins, along with other artifacts, made headlines and provided valuable insights into the economic and social conditions of the post-Civil War era.

The 1871 SS Republic, while less famous than her Civil War-era namesake, served faithfully in passenger and freight transport for several years. Her fate is less documented and did not involve a comparable large-scale treasure recovery. Information about her subsequent service and eventual decommissioning or loss is less readily available than details surrounding the sinking of the original Republic. The significance of the name "SS Republic" lies predominantly with the earlier Civil War-era vessel.