How did the britain try to maintain power over the new colonies?

The British maintained power over the new colonies by controlling the trades done by the colonists. They required the colonists to trade with the British and use only the ships of the British. This resulted to the reduced trading options for the colonists. Another one was by passing laws that would result to the British controlling the colonists financially. 

There were several ways the British maintained power over the American colonies. One way was by passing laws that controlled colonial trade. As part of the mercantile system, the Navigation Acts required the colonists to trade with the British. The British ships buy and protect products from Britain. These policies reduced trade options for the colonists. After the French and Indian War, the British exerted their influence over the colonies