Fontes Pereira de Melo is mostly remembered for implementing dynamic industrial and public infrastructure policy, which became known as Fontismo (after his name).

Having not yet reached the age of 14, Fontes joined the Portuguese Royal Naval Academy amid the civil war between absolutists and liberals.

Two months later, in October 1833, during the siege of Lisbon by absolutist forces, the young cadet took part in the successful defence of the city led by Napier.

In the same year, an appointed aide to his father, then governor of Cape Verde, Fontes moved to the territory, where he resided until 1842, producing reports and maps and working on various projects.

On his return to Lisbon, he attended the astronomy course at the Polytechnic School, but his studies were interrupted by a personal tragedy, the death of his wife and, soon after, of his only daughter.

In 1848, while Saldanha was head of government, and after his father had a short stint as navy and overseas minister, Fontes ran for parliament for the constituency of Cape Verde.

The organization of military reforms made by himself included new regiments in the infantry, two in the cavalry, and artillery, later he started to buy more torpedo boats.

In 1887, he was preparing for a new opposition campaign over the cabinet and actively directed the electoral works, Pereira de Melo suffered an illness and died on 22 January 1887 at the palace at 6 Páteo do Tijolo in Mercês, Lisbon where he lived.