In a way, Macedo intertwines several chorographic traditions that blend history and geography, influenced both by the former Academia Real da História [Royal Academy of History] and by the French Academy of Inscriptions and Belles-lettres, as well as the Geographical Society of Paris. Macedo's role within the Academy of Sciences was to sustain the legacy of this ancient tradition of Portuguese chorographic studies (maintaining connections with similar work being produced in France). This tradition would later be revived in Brazil by Varnhagen, within the framework of the Instituto Histórico e Geográfico Brasileiro [Brazilian Historic and Geographical Institute].

In 1842, when he presented his text, Macedo had effectively transformed into an Arabist, even going so far as to transcribe Arabic texts. He had little to no direct involvement in the specific issue of the Henrican discoveries, a topic that was revived with the publication in Paris of Zurara's Crónica do descobrimento e conquista da Guiné [The Chronicle of the Discovery and Conquest of Guinea], featuring an introduction and notes by the Viscount of Santarém (1841).

One must not overlook Macedo's true intellectual nature: that of a dilettante, a bibliophile, and a "literary scholar," as Acúrsio described him, while also being regarded as a specialist in medieval geography by Adrien Balbi. In his works on Murrine ceramics and the spread of the Greek language in Portugal, Macedo followed in the footsteps of other highly knowledgeable individuals with distinguished careers at the Academy of Sciences, such as Ribeiro dos Santos, Garção Stockler, and Francisco Alexandre Lobo. He delved into classical and Arabic sources, making significant contributions to the fields of geography, archaeology, and art history. Unfortunately, despite a long life spanning nearly ninety years, during which Macedo immersed himself in the world of books and academic circles, very little remains that is productive, concrete, or systematic. His texts on the geography of the discoveries are merely tentative efforts, lacking the pioneering contributions of Ribeiro dos Santos and Mendo Trigoso (who passed away at the age of 48). They fall significantly short of the systematic and comprehensive works produced by figures such as Cardinal Saraiva, the Viscount of Santarém, Navarrete, and Walckenaer. This eclecticism of topics is characteristic of the nineteenth century, when an encyclopaedic and non-disciplinary notion of culture prevailed. In Macedo's case, however, this broad approach often led to historical subjects being infused with an erudition that, at times, proved counterproductive.

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