How do social and cultural events impact what we as a society fear? How does horror media evolve to stay relevant to modern anxieties? How do we metaphorically portray real-life terrors onscreen? In this thesis, Vincent Sage explores the intricacies of American horror media from its origins in the freak shows of the 1900s to the teenage werewolves of the 1950s, investigating the cultural significance of dozens of classic movies and the tumultuous world that shaped them.