He was the most prominent Portuguese defender of the abolition of slavery in Portugal and its domains.

Sá da Bandeira was Minister of the Navy in the government of José Jorge Loureiro (1835–36).

[2] He was Prime Minister of Portugal for five terms: He never married but he had a legitimised daughter born out of wedlock, named Luísa Aglaé Fanny de Sá Nogueira, who married her cousin Faustino de Paiva de Sá Nogueira.

[1] The city of Lubango, Angola, was called Sá de Bandeira when the Angolan territory was under Portuguese rule.

On 4 April 1833, he was created Baron of Sá da Bandeira , on 1 December 1834, he was created Visconde de Sá da Bandeira [pt] and on 3 February 1864, he was created Marquês de Sá da Bandeira [pt].