Cordeiro also worked with António Enes and other authors on História de Portugal (1876-[1883]) (vol. II) [History of Portugal (1876-[1883]) (vol. II)], which covers the reigns from King Dinis to King John I. This project likely deepened his interest in topics that would later inspire his other works.

Luciano Cordeiro played a key role in organising several major commemorations, including the centenary of Camões’ death in 1880, the Marquis of Pombal in 1882, the birth of Prince Henry the Navigator in 1894, and the centenary of Vasco da Gama's voyage to India in 1898. However, Cordeiro's activities extended beyond journalism and literature. After briefly teaching at the Military College until 1874, he transitioned to politics, taking on important civil service roles. As a member of the Regenerator Party, he served as an MP for the Mogadouro electoral district from 1882 to 1884, and then for the Leiria in 1884. During his time in office, he addressed numerous issues that he had dealt with in his roles at the Ministry of the Kingdom, where he held various management positions across different departments, including Director-General of Public Education. In 1872, he and his brother Francisco founded the Companhia Carris de Ferro de Lisboa (Lisbon Railway Company), aiming to modernise the capital's public transportation system with animal-drawn vehicles running on rails, known as "americanos" (American streetcars).

However, perhaps the most significant focus of Luciano Cordeiro's career was colonial policy and the study of overseas territories' geography. At the end of the 19th century, European powers were increasingly focused on occupying African territories. It was a time of land exploration expeditions in Africa. In Portugal, two institutions were established to expand geographical knowledge of the colonies: the Permanent Central Geographical Commission in 1876 and the Lisbon Geographical Society in 1875. The former operated under government supervision, while the latter was a privately run institution. Luciano Cordeiro was closely connected to both; he served as secretary of the former and was a driving force behind the creation of the latter, where he became its first Perpetual Secretary. In 1880, the Permanent Central Geographical Commission was merged into the Geographical Society, but in 1883, the government formed the Cartography Commission.

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