He studied Latin with Hipólito Calvo Rosales and philosophy with Rafael Francisco Osejo.

He also held the roles of Federal Customs Administrator of Puntarenas (1831-1838), General State Administrator (1838 and 1842), Commissioner of Costa Rica in Nicaragua (1838), Trial Court Justice of Cartago (1841), Constituent Assembly member (1843-1844), Vice Chief of Staff (1843-1844), Minister of Finance, Public Education and the Navy (1847), Governor of Cartago (1849-1850), Vice President of the Republic (1850-1856) and President of Congress (1850-1856).

In the 1844 Costa Rican elections, the first that used a direct voting system, he achieved an overwhelming victory against the provisional Head of State, José María Alfaro Zamora, and 28 other candidates.

In April 1845, the legislature suspended him from office, declared that there was cause for proceedings against him and ordered that criminal proceedings be opened against him for abandoning his post, but he remained the titular head of state until 7 June 1846 when a military coup ended the constitutional government.

In 1856, a severe cholera epidemic swept through Costa Rica, killing 10% of the population.